Sunday 31 March 2013

My little sister does my makeup!

Hey everyone,
So today I have a kind of crazy video for you, it's me and my little sister just chilling out as she does my makeup! It's going up on my actual youtube channel, and it would mean loads to me if you liked and subscribed! You will be able to see how crazy me and my family are. Some proper posts, such as a desk organisation and reviews are coming soon, this is just a one of video for my youtube channel. Thanks guysss! xxx
Also happy Easter! What a beautiful day :)


Friday 29 March 2013

MY FIRST VIDEO! :D

Hey everyone,
So basically I have decided to upload a video explaining what has been going on and to get everything clear about my blog and my hopes and dreams for Handpicked Beauty! This has taken a lot of guts to do, and sorry if this video is boring and I am very awkward but I am only 14 and this is a huge deal for me :) I know my camera cut off a few times, and the background isn't great but I have done my best! :D Thanks for everything, I love you all! :) xxx

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Review of Maybelline colour tattoo eyeshadow in Pink Gold!



Hey everyone,
So today I am reviewing a really pretty cream eyeshadow I recently bought from the Maybelline Colour tattoo 24hr range, called Pink Gold, for £4.99. I don't really have many cream eyeshadows and I have been wanting to buy a proper eye primer as I experiment more with eyeshadows, but I am not really prepared to splash out on an expensive one at this stage! So when I saw this in Boots, I immediately picked it up because cream eyeshadows can be great substitutes for primers. For some reason on the Boots website, it shows this colour as being brown, but it definitely isn't!


As you can see, the pigmentation is absolutely amazing, and this is with one dab! You could build the colour up a lot more if you wanted to.
It is a beautiful pink shade with flecks of gold, which make your eyes pop. It is perfect for Spring and as the weather gets warmer, as it's so delicate like a little flower :) The packaging is glass, which makes it feel like a high end, expensive product, not some cheap plasticy product, which I love. The label shows the colour really nicely which makes it stand out in your makeup bag or drawer.

It looks great under other eyeshadows, such as a white one in the centre of the eyelid to make the eyes appear brighter, and a brown colour in the crease, however it also looks really pretty on it's own just all over the lid, and it is super quick to do so you can look great in about 5 seconds! I also think you could use a liner brush to apply this on the waterline to make you appear more awake and to make your eyes stand out more. I think I might do a FOTD with this, because it's just soo nice.



I know Mac have a great range of cream eyeshadows and I am dying to try 'Bare study' but as I said I'm only 14 and it's not the sort of thing I can spend a lot on. :( 
Overall I think this is a gorgeous eye colour and I would recommend it to anyone. I think it would compliment all eye colours as the flecks of gold just add instant love to your eyelids, especially blue eyes! 

I hope you liked this review, have you tried any of these eyeshadows? Are the Mac ones worth the hype, or comparable if you have both? I will definitely be buying more of these.

Lots of love,
Emma-Kate
xxx




Tuesday 26 March 2013

Boots, Cath Kidston and Paperchase haul!

Hey everyone,
So the other day I went shopping and I picked up a few things so I thought I'd share it with you!


Firstly I picked up these super cute cloud magnets from paper chase; I know they are kind of wierd but I just think they are adorable! 


I then went into boots (who wouldn't) and I bought this really gorgeous cream eyeshadow. It is Maybelline Colour tattoo eyeshadow in Pink Gold, and it just caught my eye as I was looking in the shop! I loveee it, so expect a review soon!



Next from Boots I bought some Baby extra large cotton wool pads, as I have heard they are really great for removing makeup and you use less, as you don't have to go through loads of the small ones to take away makeup! Also they are sooo soft and feel amazing on the skin.






 Next I bought two nail varnishes from Rimmel which are in the 60 seconds range. I bought 'Round and round the garden' which is a super pretty green shade, and 'Princess pink' which is a lovely girly pale pink shade. I got one for free as the Maybelline and Rimmel were on 3 for 2! Yippee!
I also bought the Boots Simply Sensitive eye makeup remover. Guys, I have tried this and unfortunately I hate it. I used to use the Simple one which was amazing, but I thought I'd give this a try as my Simple one ran out and I was worried I wasn't removing my mascara properly. This removes the makeup really well, however it is SO greasy and is basically just clear oil. It leaves a horrible, oily residue which is so hard to get off, and personally I don't want greasy eyes and around my T-Zone as I'm sleeping. So yeah, this product was a mistake Boots!


My favourite purchase was this Cath Kidston phone case. I am so obsessed with cath Kidston and my room is basically a Cath Kidston shop, so when it came to buying a phone case I was straight in, straight out! The only downside was the price but in my opinion it is worth it because I get to see this beautiful print every time I use my phone. Very happy EK :) 

So this haul was little but I hope you liked it! I love doing hauls, I just love justifying and explaining what I've recently bought, and I love reading them :) Make sure you follow me on Bloglovin' due to the GFC issues!
Lots of love,
Emma-Kate
xxx

Sunday 24 March 2013

Stepping into spring Khaki OOTD!

Hey everyone,
Eeek my first ever OOTD on Handpickedbeauty! This has been requested by lots of people and I;ve just never got round to it so it's great I finally have! Please be aware I'm only 14 so if my 'style' is a little different to yours that's fine, but I would love it if you liked it :) It's basically just using spring, eding on khaki like colours with cute accessories in a bid to embrace the (hopefully) warmer weather; a bit ironic as it's snowing in England but ahh well ;)


Tank top: Indigo for M&S
Leggings: Primark
White Bow Shoes: Next
Bag: Accessorize
Cardigan: Tesco
Scarf: Indigo for M&S
Bracelet: Fat Face
Necklace: Accessorize

I


 I think this turtle necklace is so pretty and unique and the little gems catch the light and look so beautiful!


I love this bracelet so much because it has loads of different colours and just pulls the outfit together. I know it's baggy on me but I am really self conscious about my wrist so yeah..



The scarf is from accessorize and has a gorgeous leaf pattern which is perfect for spring and the tassels just add creativity! I don't normally shop at M&S so I think this is such a great piece from their, along with the tank top.

I hope you like this everyone, and if you want more OOTD's comment below so I know, because it takes me time to out an outfit together and photograph everything so I will only do it if you guys want me to :)
 Lots of love,
Emma-Kate
xxx




Friday 22 March 2013

MUA Heaven and Earth palette!

Hey everyone,
So this product from Superdrug has been hyped up so much, it has been hailed a dupe for the Urban Decay palettes and for £4 it is known as an amazing drugstore palette! I've wanted to get my hands on this for ages, and as it turns out I recently won a giveaway by Catherine! It's my first ever giveaway win so yeah I'm pretty happy and it arrived on my birthday too with the Undress me too palette. I will do a review of that too if you want but it was a bit much to fit both in one post complete with swatches and my full opinion.

The colours are all neutral, very wearable shades, so they are perfect for someone like me who only wants quite a subtle eyeshadow look, but this palette also leaves you with an option to build the colour up as it has some darker shades. The colours are all shimmery, some more than others but they aren't too shiny, it's just tiny little glitters! The pale colours are great bases especially the shimmery champagne colour which would look great in the inner corner of the eye, with maybe one of the darker browns in the crease. I can't wait to experiment with all the fun shades! 

This is just a simple eye look I created from this palette just using the neutrals as a base and the deep browns in the crease! I also used a liner brush to line the pale and dark colours across my waterline :) I haven't used any other products in this photo including mascara or eyeliner because I wanted you to see the full results. 

I have swatched all of the colours (which have no names sadly) on my arm but I feel like this photo doesn't really do it justice! They are so pigmented with especially strong darker colours, and I always consider it a good thing when eyeshadows are hard to get off! As you can see the lighter colours haven't showed up too well but in actual life they are just as pigmented as the others so I've given them their own picture to show you :)

I haven't actually tried any of the Urban Decay palettes as I haven't been into makeup for that long and obviously the price is a little high for a school girl who's only income is pocket money and hand made cards. So I haven't bought them yet but I probably will one day, when I'm a grown up I'm sure that's what I'll spend my money on! :D

This palette is awesome, and for the price the colours are so strong and pigmented and I'm sure this will become my everyday go to eyeshadow palette.





Thanks for reading,
Emma-Kate
xxx


Thursday 21 March 2013

My birthday!

Hey everyone,
So yeah...I haven't posted for 2 weeks on Sunday. I have been very very ill, and crazily busy/stressed but I don't need to go into it because I don't think it matters! I enjoy blogging and it's not about how often you post, so things are slowly coming back to normal and I'm trying not to let it get me down that I've been unable to blog.
Anyway, today is my 14th birthday! Eeek, I should be revising for a really important exam on Monday but I can't...I mean it's my birthday! I thought I'd show a few pictures and things of the day because it will be fun to look back on, and I think you might be interested in a few things I got :D




So on Tuesday I went to see One Direction which was crazzzayyy. They are my favourite band (Sorry, typical 14 year old) and it was worth the ridiculously overpriced ebay tickets because the view was incredible and Harry waved at me and Niall blew me a kiss. I was freaking out! Their songs were so good, and they were so interactive with everyone and lovely to the fans :) I can't include many photos because my friends don't really want everyone to see them, and rhe quality of them was rubbish :P

Anyway, this morning I woke up to a cup of tea and my family :) I felt so lucky, even though everyone was half asleep at 7 and blearily handed me presents but the fact they got up amazed me! And my other brother Ben is in France (I am so jealous) so he wasn't there. Ben is so talented at the piano and composing music, and he actually has an album on iTunes! It's called 'The last leaves' so be sure to have a look and he says he couldn't control the bad price :S
So my mum and dad got me an iphone, which I am so happy about because my old phone was awful and was on pay as you go so I basically never topped up, and yeah it was terrible. Most of the pictures are taken on my new phone so the quality is great, I'm so impressed as I won't have to faff about with m y actual camera for my blog :)
I also got this blog inc book which seems so interesting and I hope I get some great tips for this blog.

I got sent cards and things from my family and friends, and I actually won a giveaway from the lovely http://candyxcosmetics.blogspot.co.uk! I have never ever won a giveaaway and for the prizes to be sent on my birthday is awesome. I won two MUA palettes which I can't wait to try and I will be reviewing so soon.

I got some lovely bits and pieces today, so thanks everyone! It's been so special, and bring on being 14! I know my blog isn't the best but I love everyone who reads and I'm so proud and bubbly about it :)

Also, I should quickly say I've heard all this scary stuff about GFC closing, and that is were all my followers are! :( So I've migrated over to Bloglovin' and I've linked it basically everywere on my blog, so it looks like I have 0 followers again but oh well. I class my Bloglovin' followers as my actual followers from now on and I will be doing giveaways on that. It's a shame about GFC but ahh I guess these things happen!

Love you everyone,
Emma-Kate
xxxx











PS: It's been one of those jumbled, chatty posts so sorry if you don't like it but I thought it would be fun instead of just ignoring everything that's been happening! Like I said, reviews are to come and I'M BACK. :)

Sunday 10 March 2013

How I organise my pamper drawer!



















hey everyone,
So this weekend has been crazy for me, I had planned to write lots of posts, do all my homework and organise myself, but I became very ill on friday and stayed in bed basically all weekend so I couldn't get anything done! So frustrating! I'm feeling slightly better today but I have a really sore throat and a cough.
Anyway, I thought I thought I'd share with you how I organise my 'Pamper Drawer'. It's a little crazy, but whenever it's my birthday I always get tons of toiletries and bath stuff because everyone knows I am into things like that. So over time I've built up quite a collection, and I loveeee this drawer! I love opening it and picking what bubble bath I'm going to use, it's kind of a hobby, and it smells amazing! As I am naturally a very tidy person, I love the fact that everything has it's own category. This drawer used to be super messy, but now I have organised it I thought I'd show you to give you a few ideas on how to store your bath stuff! I mean everyone needs wants a pamper drawer, especially if you love having a good soak in the bath and having a bit of me time. :)

I have sorted everything using these drawer dividers from IKEA. My drawers are from there too, so the dividers fit perfectly and honestly, they help me so much to stay neat. I have them in every drawer!


 I have all my hair care things in one section. Basically this is all of my shampoo and conditioner, hair masks, styling creams and dry shampoo.










I then have a section for my soaps and hand creams. Honestly, I don't really use these that much but s I have quite a few I like to keep them in here, and they smell gorgeous! Especially the Cath Kidston ones :)









I love all of my body butters so much! I keep them in one of the big drawer dividers and it is so nice when they are all organised and pretty!











In this section I store my shower gels, bubble bath, bath syrups and exfoliators. I don't have that many exfoliators so that's why I keep them with the other body washes.










Finally, in this part I keep face masks, deodrantt, body poofs(?), a cooling foot spray and a back massager. So basically all the little random essentials which don't fit into any another category!














At the side of the drawer I just keep my nail varnishes in a box and my tooth paste and things, so I didn't put in a picture because it's not that interesting!
I hope you liked this post, and if you want some more organisation posts like how I organise my desk, just comment below!

Lots of love,
Emma-Kate
xxxxx

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Accessorise highlighter :)x






























Hello everyone,
So it's wednesday and I still haven't blogged since Sunday :( I am so sorry about that, I am super busy at the moment, I have important exams coming up, I am working super hard in ice skating and violin and I have heaps of homework! I feel so tired, but I love to blog and I feel like I'm all my lovely followers down, so I am really sorry and I hope you guys understand that as soon as all my work and exams are done, I will be blogging every day :) x
Anyway, today I am going to review a highlighter from accessorise, which is £6.95. Accessorise have only recently begun to branch out into cosmetics, so I really wanted to try them! When I first got this product, I really didn't like it, as it is very shimmery and I was applying it in large sections on my cheekbones which was leaving me with a horrible, sparkly look which was more fit for a small girl dressing up as a fairy princess. However, I kept it in my stash for a while, as I am always so reluctnat to throw products away (I might use it one day...) but with this highlighter it actually suprised me. A few weeks ago, I my skin felt dull and tired, so I took a tiny bit of this highlighter and applied it on the tip of my nose, my cheekbones and my chin, and I was amazed by how it worked!
It is so shimmery, so you have to be careful not to apply too much (A quarter of a fingertip is the perfect amount, or for more specific quantities, a tiny squeeze of the bottle!) but it brightens your face and is a gorgeous radiance booster and a generally happy product.





The best part is the price, it is so cheap for the amount of product you get. I am obsessed with Accessorise, but the other makeup isn't very good so I think that affected my views of this product, as I didn't give it a chance before I dismissed it as being a bad product. The best part is the price, it is so cheap for the amount of product you get. I am obsessed with Accessorise, but the other makeup isn't very good so I think that affected my views of this product, as I didn't give it a chance before I dismissed it as being a bad product.

Have you tried other accessorise makeup? I really want to try the powder version of this product :)

Lots of love,
Emma-Kate xxx

Sunday 3 March 2013

Liz Earle skincare review!

Hey everyone,

So the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser has had a big hype surrounding it for a while now, and I've wanted to use the skincare range for ages. I have a kit with a small version of each product, and I am definitely buying the big versions of the products once I have run out, because I love them so much! They are expensive but they are so worth it.

The hot cloth cleanser




This cleanser is beautiful. Just beautiful. I have previously used cleansers which don't thoroughly remove makeup, and it is horrible going to sleep with bits of mascara on your eyelashes and the faded remains of blusher on your cheeks, as well as being terrible for your skin and making me feel un clean! I don't use this in the morning but I do in the evening. You literally just start massaging this cleanser onto dry skin (dry as in not wet), into every nook and cranny of your face! I have a small chicken pox mark on the side of my nose; I love it and think it's cute, but it's hard to remove grime from it, yet this cleanser just worms it's way in and purifies everything. The first time I used this, I was terrified of putting it near my eyes, as it feels so weird just applying cleanser and massaging it into your eyelids, but it doesn't hurt at all and it removes every.last.trace of eyeshadow/eyeliner/mascara. My skin always feels so clean in a lovely, moisturised, natural way which no other cleanser has given me. I haven't tried many cleansers, this is the first high end one I've tried but it is by far the best!




The toner

I apply the toner onto a cotton pad and then swipe it over my skin. If I had any makeup left on my face (I never do because the cleanser is so thorough) it would remove it, but it tightens the pores, smells amazing and leaves your skin with a tingly, radiant feeling. It also doesn't sting the eyes and is super gentle.

The moisturiser
The moisturiser is great, but it didn't blow me away as much as the cleanser and toner. It is very hydrating, however I found it a little hard to blend into the skin, and it also takes a while to sink in. I am a bit OCD and I can't stand it if my skin is sticky so this annoys me, but if you don't mind that, and are looking for a very hydrating cleanser which is natural and perfect for sensitive skin, this is amazing for you! At the moment I am sticking to my beloved Bodyshop moisturiser which I have a review on.





So I hope you liked this everyone! I love this range, and I have hinted many times to my mum that this is on my birthday list for next month! ;)

Lots of love,
Emma-Kate
xxx

Friday 1 March 2013

March!


Hey everyone,
So it's the 1st of March! Justin Bieber's birthday actually ;)
I thought I'd start doing posts like this at the start of each month, to set goals for myself and to help me stay positive! I love March, as it's my birthday and the start of spring, and I'm seeing One Direction in a few weeks which I am crazily excited about. I'll definitely do a post with photos and videos after the concert.

The first thing I want to do in March is to eat healthily. Eat more fruit and veg and drink lots of water! I eat quite healthily already; I don't eat crisps or have fizzy drinks but I need to start eating some more fruit. I also need more iron in my diet! And more food in general.

Also I want to get all of my homework done the day I get it. This is a huge task for me because although I am very organised, I tend to leave homework to the last minute. I always get it done but I end up rushing it, and get stressed because I have too much!

I want to start writing more. I mean creative writing, as English is my favourite subject and I LOVE to write! It sounds a bit silly but I can spend hours writing stories and descriptions and things, and it's just a fun thing I like to do. :)

I also want to write to my friends more, as I write to a lot of people and lately I've been really far behind.

Another thing is that I need to start going to bed earlier as I am so behind on sleep and it's really bad when I almost fall asleep at school, although to be fair maths is so so boring. ;)

And finally, concerning my blog I want to have more varied posts! Maybe some OOTD's or things like that, just comment below what sort of posts you want. I like doing writing ones like this, but I love photography and I love doing DIY's and reviews as well! My blog is having a total makeover as one of my friends is an expert in html, so I hope that's all done at the end of March! I mean new header, background, colour scheme etc. And when I get to 100 followers, whether it be this month or another month, I am hoping to do a really fun giveaway! :D x

So yeah, I hope at the end of March I can look back at this post and say it's been a great month! What are you ambitions for March?

Lots of love,
Emma-Kate xxx
Me and Finley shaking hands ;) x

Also thanks for 75 followers! Eeep, I'm smiling so much right now :)