Happy Halloween! | Zombie

Hi ladies. Just a quick post for you this evening. Halloween is just around the corner, but I'm sure like  me and those of you who are going out are celebrating it tonight! I was so undecided about what to wear or dress up as and the whole look I've thrown together here is really last minute. originally I was going to give it a miss, but I was persuaded by my friends that I should be going out... As you probably guessed by the pictures I've decided to dress up as a zombie cheerleader. As its dark, the lighting is really poor so hello flash on the camera... sorry...but it gives you the idea kinda. I didn't use any Halloween designed makeup and created the look with just what I had in my own makeup collection. Top Tip though beauties... to get a different colour on your face simply mix your normal foundation with some loose pressed eyeshadow; I mixed my Revlon Photoready Foundation with some green Barry M Dazzle Dust. The blood was created with bright red lipstick and the rest of the colours you see on my face are just dark eyeshadows... Simple.

The look is not quite finished yet, I'm sat here typing and still wanting to touch things up and I also have my arms and legs to gross up a little. I don't dare do that yet till I leave the house as I can only imagine that there would be a mad makeup mess with green and black eyeshadow all over the place. I'm going to my friends first and she has some fake blood to zombie my look up a little.

I hope all you beauties have a fab Halloween evening whatever your doing, and if your not going out, then I'm sure a lot of you beauties will enjoy the usual Take Me Out and X Factor evening.. I've got them on record to watch tomorrow...Sad but true.

Lot's Of Love

The Beauty Parlour | Mattyfying Papers

A little while ago I took part in a beauty swap with my friend, Charlee from MyStringaling Blog and one of the little goodies that was packed in my parcel, was these Mattyfying Papers from The Beauty Parlour. Now I've used nearly all 50 sheets that come in this adorable packaging, I can honestly say they have become quite the handbag essential and I can't imagine not ever using these again.

These little sheets of mattyifing papers, are a must for anyone who has oily to combination skin. Whenever you feel as though there is too much shine on your face, simply wipe a sheet over your shine areas, which will instantly remove any excess oil on your skin. Normally I would be one to re-apply powder any time that I feel that my makeup was falling or sliding off my face and although this is not a long process, it makes me feel that I am just adding layer upon layer off makeup, which is not the best feeling. 

I am someone who gets incredibly self conscious about shine and am forever trying to control it the best way that I can. These papers make is super easy to blot and they don't remove too much of your existing makeup or smudge it in any way. It actually leaves your skin looking pretty fresh, as though you've just applied your makeup. When I first started using these, I was a little grossed out by the amount of oil that was transferred onto the mattyfying papers once I had used them. It was shocking to see how much oil I was actually carrying on my face. But there was also that great satisfying feeling, seeing that it was no longer on my face! It only takes one sheet for the paper to do its job and its a job which can be done in around 20 seconds. I love the feeling that I'm not adding any more makeup to give me a flawless finished look.

Not only are the Mattyfying Papers beautifully packaged with The Beauty Parlour's retro 1950/60's design, they are also handbag friendly and are small enough to fit in any clutch or an evening out or your day to day bag. I take these around with my everywhere as they are so handy. Each packed contains 50 sheets and retails for £1.49 from Superdrug... Bargain. 

I love these Mattyfying papers as they really do exactly what they say on the packet and are perfect for anyone who like me, that always feels the need to blot! 

Lot's of Love 

Tag | Why Do You Wear Makeup

Image from weheartit

Hi beauties. Hope your all having a fabulous week. With the darker nights coming round so earlier, I'm finding it impossible to take some decent snaps of products and get some good posts up for you. Is anyone else having the same problem and like me and just missing the summer sun? So seeing as I have no photo's to hand,  I thought I would get the 'Why I Wear Makeup Tag' up for you all this evening. I have to admit, I just love doing these tag posts and find them a joy to read on other blogs. I've been looking for a good one to do for ages, so when Beth from Birds Words Blog, posted this tag on her blog at the beginning of the week, I did a little jump for joy... No joke I literally did! I just think this one is perfect for any beauty blogger and I can see it been shared across the bloggerssphere in no time at all. 

1. When did you begin to love makeup? 

I've had a little fascination with makeup for a long, long time. I used to love watching my mum apply her makeup in the morning and would always have a lot of fun looking though all her lipsticks and eyeshadow's. I was always aloud to look but never touch.  The first type of makeup I ever applied was a little set, I think that came with one of my Barbie accessory toys, where it had the nail polish that peels off in two seconds and that funny smelling lip balm. 

However it wasn't until I went upper school (year 9) when I was around 13, until I started to actually wear makeup properly. It started off with a little mascara, which then lead onto foundation, lipgloss and eyeshadow. As i got older, I started experimenting more with makeup and my love for it only grew stronger and stronger. It wasn't untill I was 18 and I was in a job working every weekend, that I had money to spend on makeup. I would spend hours in Boots, swatching everything... I still do now, and I find it so therapeutic!  

It's only since I became aware of the blogging world and started watching YouTube that I realised  there was a whole world of high end makeup, and since then I have been trying out different brands and as a result my love for makeup is forever growing.

2. How do you feel without makeup?

I'm not going to lie... I feel bloody awful without makeup. So much so, that I can honestly say I never ever leave the house without it. I know that may sound bad to some (I know that I should try to embrace my natural beauty more) but my skin really does feel naked without it. For me makeup hides any imperfections and really gives me that confidence to go out and face the world and any situation that comes my way. From a young age my mum always told me that you should never leave the house without a coat of mascara or a bit of blush on your cheeks as you never know who you just might meet when you are out! Who knows I could be popping to the shops and meet David Beckham or Channing Tatum (in my dreams) and I for one would not like them to see me bare faced haha!

As much as I love makeup though, I feel that there is a time and place for the right makeup and should only be used to enhance your true beauty.

3.What do you like about makeup? 

I don't think I could pin point out a single thing I didn't like about makeup and I could probably white a book on what I like about it. But to name a few things... I love how makeup can just make you look fabulous and give you that confidence boost that you need. I also love the process of applying makeup, its one of my favourite things to do in the morning. 

In an odd way, sometimes I think that your face is like the artists blank canvas, and the application of makeup really is a work of art and allows you to create different looks, there is no right or wrongs and it really does give each individual the chance to express themselves. Makeup is forever changing and there will always be something new to try... There is not a lot, that can beat that feeling of swatching a pretty lipstick, buying it and knowing that its yours to apply whenever you fancy.

4. Three 'Holy Grail' Items

If I had to narrow it down to three... which I am then I would have to pick

Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer - This has been my go too bronzer for the last four years, and I just think it gives you the most gorgeous glowing sun-kissed skin,

Clinique Stay Matte Oil-Free Foundation - This is a foundation that I've only come across recently and it's fairly new on the market, I shall have to get a review up of it soon. But I am one who suffers from oily skin and this foundation works wonders on taking away any shine from your face and just gives you the appearance of flawless skin.. yes please!

Mac's Impassioned Lipstick - I just adore everything about this lipstick, and I just find it really gives you the perfect pop of colour and just makes me feel like Barbie! It's pretty, pink and just makes your makes your lips ever so kissable! You can read my review here. 

I hope you enjoyed reading my answers beauties, if you decide to do this, please let me know in the comments as I would love to take a look and read your answers. 

Lot's of Love 

Nail Art Dotting Tools from Born Pretty

Hi Beautiful ladies. Sorry for the lack of blog posts in the last week, all I can say is life got in the way! I'm sure that you fellow bloggers will all know what I mean when I say this and completely get where I'm coming from. But alas its a new week and I'm back into the blogging swing of things, I hope all you beauties are doing well and looking fabulously as always!

So today I wanted to talk to you all about nail art and some tools that I have been using which have made doing pretty little designs on my nails all the more easy. These are of course dotting tools! I know that these have been around for ages, but I've only just managed to get my hands on some and all I can say is goodbye toothpicks and bobby pins and hello perfectly round circles on mu nails! 

My nail art dotting tools arrived in a pack of five which have a metal tip on either side which you can use to  the create dots, so really its like getting ten dotting tools for the price of five. The actual tool is about the size of a pen, possibly a little bit shorter and comes decorated in the most pretty purple which has a unique marble effect on the plastic. As you can see from the pictures the metal tips come in a range of different sizes, so you can create all sorts of different polka-dots, ranging from big to small and everything else in between. 

I've loved using these for nail art and they really make doing designs on your nails all that more easy. Those of you who know me or who have been following my blog for a little while, will know that I have a little obsession when it comes to nail art. Why just paint your nails one colour, when you can make them super cute and pretty with a few dots or designs on them? I was forever using household items to do my designs, which in fairness work wonders...But the dotting tools are sturdy to use and give you much more precision and give you perfect sized polka dots each time. I love how you don't have to stop at dots either, these dotting tools can be used to create lines, swirls and allow you to pop any design you wish onto your nails. 

These are a must for anyone who loves nail art as much as I do, and makes nail art for beginners easy too. I was lucky enough to have been sent these dotting tools from the Born Pretty Store which retail at $4.31 (for those of you in the UK I'm pretty sure that's around the £2.70 mark) so they are really affordable and a great investment. Born Pretty have also kindly given me a unique code which will give you 10% at the checkout, which makes these super affordable. The Born Pretty Store is a little treasure chest of goodies for any nail art lover as they have loads of nail art related things on there, so be sure to have a look beauties. 

For those wanting to get your 10% off at the Born Pretty Store, the code to use is DSL91

www.bornprettystore.com

Over the last week, every time I have gone to paint my nails, I can't resist doing some little design on them. I thought I would have ago with some more Halloween inspired nail art. I'm sure a lot of you will have seen these spooky little eyes on everyone's nails by now, but just look how cute they are!

This really was the easiest nail art design that I've ever tried, but for those of you who want to try, all you do is paint your nails in black or in a dark shade which is similar, I've used No7 in Betty Blues. Use your dotting tool and with a white polish create two little dots next to one another and repeat this all over your nails. Once the white polish has dried, just get a black and with your dotting tool again, place smaller dots within the white ones...and there you have spooky little eyes peeking out of the dark!

Now I can master perfect polka dots, I'm on the hunt for more nail art designs I can do on my nails, so if any of you have some good ideas or tutorials then please let me know! I hope you enjoyed this post and as always beauties I would love to know your thoughts.

Lots of Love

Casper the Friendly Ghost | Halloween Nail Art

Hello gorgeous girls. A few of you who follow me on Twitter and Instagram may have been noticed me sporting this super cute ghost design on my nails.  I never thought that I'd ever say a ghost was cute, but I just think that these little guys (Casper's) on my nails are adorable and perfect for the spooky month of October. They are ever so easy to do and I'm pretty sure that anyone with a nail art dotting tool, nail art pen or a Kirby grip/bobby pin can create this simple design.

Step One

Paint your nails in any colour that you want to use for the background. Black would work perfectly for this, but for this design I have used No7 Stay Perfect in Betty Blues. Betty Blues is the most gorgeous midnight blue which has a very subtle blue glitter added to it. I adore this colour and as black nails look horrible on me  Betty Blues is a great alternative. It gives the appearance of black nails and only when your nails catch the light or you look close up, you can see that the polish is actually blue.

Step Two

Once your nails are dry, you will want to pick out your very best white polish and with whatever tool you are using (I used a dotting tool) you will want to place a blob at the bottom of your nail, using a generous amount of polish. With the excess polish on your blob, you will want to use your dotting tool and draw a half moon shape down the nail, which will create the body. You may need to add a little more while polish to the tip of your tool to even the line out. You should have something that looks like a crescent with a circle at the top. Wait for these to dry.

Step Three

With your dotting tool again you will want to draw two little triangles on either side of the circle, which will create the ghost's arms. Once the white polish has dried, you will want to create the eyes and mouth of the ghost. I used the same colour as I used for the base, but you can choose any colour your prefer. With a really light hand you will want to place two small dots in the circle and a slightly bigger one in the middle, underneath the first two dots. Then you should have a little Casper ghost drawn onto your nails.

Step Four (optional)

Once your nails have fully dried, add your favourite top coat which will help to smooth out any bumps or imperfections and of course keep the chips at bay.

It really is easy as that. Hope you enjoyed this post ladies, I'm looking to work on some more Halloween inspired nail art, so if you have any ideas or tutorials of your own please let me know.

Happy Birthday Miss Sunshine & Sparkle

Hi Ladies! I can't believe I'm saying this or even typing out this post, but as you guessed by the name of the title and the picture, today is my blogs birthday. Yep,Miss Sunshine & Sparkle is officially one year old today! It would be a dream to have a true celebration and invite all you lovely lot round for cupcakes, cocktails and a party (can you imagine if we had a party for every blogs birthday's, that would be a lot of parties to attend!) but instead I shall have to settle for a blog post instead of the blog party. 

I'm sure you all know the drill by now with these birthday type of posts and are thinking right now here come all the 'thank you's' etc. But it would be just too rude of me to not say thank you to each and everyone of you who has taken the time to come and have a read, comment and even follow. I know blogging is not all about the followers, but it really is overwhelming and just amazing when someone takes the time to read though your blog content, and appreciates and likes your efforts so much so that they want to come back for more. Sometimes I still can't get my head around how far my little space on the Internet has come along and what I've managed to achieve in one year. 

In all honesty I thought it would have taken me a lot longer to get where I am today, but with a lot of hard work and the help of Google, my trusty camera and of course fellow beauty bloggers, I've seen my blog go from strength to strength. The other week I was looking back at my very first posts (some of them really make me cringe!) and I really can see where I've improved and how I've developed my own sense of style throughout the year. I love the fact that I'm still learning and really look forward to seeing what the next year of blogging will bring. 

Blogging really has changed my life, this may sound a little daft to a non blogger, but I know that a lot of you will totally relate and understand where I am coming from here. When I first started I never knew how addictive it would be or how rewarding it was. I would urge anyone who is thinking about starting a blog to bite the bullet and just go for it, there really are no wrongs; If you stick at it, not only will your blog grow, but you will also grow as a person. I've grown in confidence since starting Miss Sunshine & Sparkle, put myself in new situations, challenged myself and met some wonderful people along the way. Meeting and taking to some lovely girls has really made my blogging experience just amazing. The beauty community is just wonderful and I would like to take the time in this post to name some of the girls which I've gotten to know and who have been there for me though my day to day life, as well as blogging. All there blogs have been listed and I would love for you to go and say hello to them.

India - The Jewel Beauty

Sarah - Modern Damsel

Beth -  Birds Words 

Kayleigh - Couture Girl

Charlee - My Stringaling 

Sarah - Oh So Glam

Lauren - A Lauren to Herself 

Sophia - Sophia Meola 

Chelsea -Though Chealsea's Eyes

Alessia - Whispers From Angels

Lindsay - Lindsay Frances

So what does the next year have in store for Miss Sunshine & Sparkle?

Well I'm still going to be blogging of course. It would be a dream to have career blogging like some girls, but I think that maybe a goal for my next blog birthday. What I would love though, is to grow even more as a beauty blogger; What I mean by this, is that I would like to get a more variety of beauty and fashion posts up and try and find the time to blog more. I would also love to have more interaction with all you lovely people and get to know even more of you that take the time to comment and have blogs of your very own. There is still so much I'm learning is I have already stated and I just want to learn more technical things that will add to the general layout of my blog and make it a better experience for everyone visiting. 

My main goal though for the next year is to try and start getting some videos up. I know that blogging and You Tube really go hand in hand and I think its a perfect way for everyone really get to know the girl behind Miss Sunshine & Sparkle. This is something which terrifies me slightly, but I know I have a lot of support and people giving me the confidence to film... So watch this space.

Thanks once again beauties for coming on this journey with me, and if there is anything you would like to add to this post, please do so in the comments below. Also if you follow MSS and I've not had the chance to check out your blog, please let me know as I would love to go and take a look.

Lot's of Love