New (ish) Makeup | Hot or Mess? - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens


With the onslaught of new makeup launches constantly it can be difficult to know what to spend on. A massive perk of blogging is a get a fair few samples sent my way so I'll be regularly rounding up my favourite or hyped products new in the beauty sphere I've tried each month and whether I think they're worth the coin.


Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara (£21.50)*
With constant teasing that something "out of this world" was coming prior to the launch of Bad Gal Bang a mascara was my last guess, especially as Benefit are already known for two cult mascaras I love - They're Real and Roller Lash. It's been 4 years in-the-making and features aero-particles (a fancy name for one of the lightest known materials) derived from space technology. The idea is that with a light formula you get massive volume and lashes aren't weighed down. The mascara does what it says - adds volume and my lashes look longer - but somehow I'm just not totally into it. I really want to love it (especially as the rest of the beauty world seems to rate it) but the effect is clumpy and the slim ultra long brush just irritates me as it's awkward to use. Bad Gal Bang won't replace They're Real or Roller Lash for me so whilst I won't call it a mess Bad Gal Bang definitely got a lukewarm reception from me.

MAC Dazzleglass (£15.50)*
Not quite a new launch but different and 'returning' shades were recently added to the Dazzleglass lipgloss collection. It's described by MAC as "a lip colour that dazzles with light to bring an exciting dimensional pop to your lips". I'd say the real effect is more subtle but pretty nonetheless. I have 3 shades - Goldyrocks (lemon yellow), Rollergirl (taupey plum) and Tangerine Tropica (coral). There isn't much colour pay-off with the shades I have though Tangerine Tropica has more 'pop' than the other two. The formula is slightly tacky but I think this makes it fairly long-wearing (as much as lipgloss can be). I love these so I'd say they're worth the spend but I don't think any more than a couple of shades are needed as there's not much between them.

NARS Natural Radiant Longwear (£35)*
I've become that person with about 15 different foundations but I had to try this new offering from NARS as I have a few of their foundations already that I absolutely love. Described by NARS as "Longwear is finally lightweight—and radiant. High coverage is now super natural" with 16 hour wear and suitable for oily skin. Sounds too good to be true? Right off the bat it is one of the most natural-looking foundations I have and given the medium-high coverage I'm really impressed. It feels so comfortable on the skin too. The wear time is decent on my oily skin but I'm not sure about the 16 hour wear claim. I've worn it for max 12 hours - I rarely want makeup on longer than that - and technically it's still there hours later but there is a little transferring, separation and oiliness. A primer is a necessity too. The NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint holds up better on oily skin but I love the natural look of the Radiant Longwear so I'll continue to use it. Despite not being so longwear, this is definitely hot and with a little blotting not a mess for me.

Nudestix Rock N' Roller Easy Ink Liner (£20)*
I've never seen a liquid eyeliner like the Rock N' Roller - a "revolutionary roller ball [which] glides ink for easy, straight, smooth lines along the lash line". The tip is a super thin disc which spins around as you move it on the skin. The applicator takes some getting used to but I love the sharpness of the lines it creates. The formula dries quickly too and it doesn't budge. It comes in 3 shades currently Bronze Patina (copper), Golden Rosé (rose gold), Black Moon (black). I have the two metallic shades which are both absolutely beautiful but Golden Rosé isn't hugely noticeable on my medium-toned skin as I think it's too close in tone. I'd definitely buy these if they brought out more metallic shades and maybe some bright or pastel colours.

Smashbox Always On Lip (£19)*
I'm a big fan of the Always on Matte Liquid Lipsticks and now there's 24 new metallic, nude and bold shades making a total of 40 different tones to choose from. Smashbox say they're a "comfortable matte liquid lipstick...created in our L.A. photo studio to stay put all day on set". The pigmentation is beautiful and it's my favourite matte liquid lipstick formula. It applies super creamy and dries matte but not dry. It lasts, not quite as long as the 8 hour claim, but I'm not too fussed about having to touch up my lip colour. I have a few of the bold purple and green shades which are stunning but realistically I'm unlikely to wear them as I'm quite safe with lip colours. The metallics pictured are my ideal with Vino Noir (metallic burgundy) and XO, Vlada (rose gold with gold pearl) being my favourites. The metallics are a softer matte and I love them so much I'll be grabbing the shade Carat Stick (metallic orange).

Shades L to R - Dazzleglass Goldyrocks, Dazzleglass Rollergirl, Dazzleglass Tangerine Tropica, Smashbox Vino Noir, Smashbox XO, Vlada, Nudestix Bronze Patina and Nudestix Golden Rosé

* - samples - read my disclaimer here.

Lesley x



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New (ish) Makeup | Hot or Mess? - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens

Springtime Side Bun - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens

Hello friends,

     How beautiful to experience spring in person.  Living in the islands means year-round summer heat and humidity, so I am enjoying very much seeing springtime in America.  I especially love the beautiful flowers that seem to be blooming everywhere.  Today I wore my new sweater and jeans, and fixed my hair in a big wavy side bun.  All day long people complimented my hairstyle wherever I went, so very kind of them <3

















 





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Springtime Side Bun - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens

Hair | Defined Curls [Video] - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens



I get a lot of questions on how to get really defined curls which is really just a matter of the method you apply product so I've gone through what I do quickly in this video over on my YouTube channel

The Video:

Lesley x



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Hair | Defined Curls [Video] - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens

Changing Seasons - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens


     Hey guys, thanks for visiting:) It's that time of year where the weather decides to play jokes on us alternating from sunshiny to stormy every other day. Friday I'll grab my laptop and sit in a lawn chair while birds sing and the kids play, and then Saturday I'll put on a big coat and brace myself for the wind and rain to hit me square in the face.

     It was a long, cold Winter, and I think most of us that are coming out of it have been really anxious for the warm weather to stick, to hear the birds sing and to feel the grass under our toes. I know I've been so looking forward to the farmers market and paddle-boarding, and I've been dreaming of evening bonfires and the little family adventures that will come with Summer. It's pretty natural to look forward to the freedom and excitement that comes with the light I think, especially after such a long stretch of bitter cold.

     While the flip-flopping of the temp has been frustrating, I realized today that it's been kindof a metaphor for life and my mindset in particular lately. I don't want to go into a bunch of detail in this post, but April has been a harder month than the last few. There have been many days with more light than we've seen in a long time, but there have also been days with more chill and dark. The simple lesson though is that just like the weather, life is unpredictable, and I need to learn to be more patient with the different seasons of my own life.

     There will be times of amazing progress and productivity, when we feel awesome and light with the happiness that comes from accomplishment. Then the next day the shadows will creep in and the light will dim, and it often feels like the sun will never come back. I have been having more of those darker days for sure, but I'm working hard at appreciating what I can learn from those days while I'm waiting for the season to change again.

     Here's to a brighter day tomorrow and crushing our to-do lists, but if not, cheers to leftovers in our sweats and kiddo snuggles amid piles of unfolded laundry. Deep breaths:)

               xoxo
   
P.S. This trench coat from ASOS is sold out now, but they have a whole new batch of light colors for Spring and Summer that you can check out here









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Changing Seasons - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens

Open heart moment: - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens

     Yesterday was hard, today was hard, tomorrow will be harder. I’ve felt especially stuck lately in the messy space between peace and turmoil, joy and heartache, and because I can’t make sense of my jumbled thoughts most of the time I just don’t share. I’m constantly trying to change that though, and to open up during more of the hard moments along with the sweet moments. 

     Tomorrow will be 9 years since my late husband Martin and I were married, and also 1 year and 10 months since his death. 3 years since my grief process began. Every day I feel happiness from all the beauty and blessings in my life, and every day I also feel broken inside from the trauma of losing him the way I did.  

     This is Ashley, Jenna, and Hailey. These three warrior ladies are just a few who know much of how that feels. We’re great friends, we’re all mothers, and we’re all widows. We’ve all lost our sweethearts, we’ve all held our children beside our husbands casket, and we’re trying our best to move forward every day and find joy. We’ve learned the hard way to not take a single moment for granted or wait for the sweeter things in life but to soak it all in, every moment or every day.

     A couple months ago (When I was still pregnant with Alice:)) we were able to get together and stay up way too late eating pizza and laughing and crying together. It is comforting to know people who have been to a similar dark and twisty place as me, but it’s also so important to know that we’re all (you included) tied together by the pain of our worst experiences. We might not have all had the same successes, but experiencing such immense heartbreak in any sense ties us all together in empathy and compassion for others’ pain. 


     I have the huge honor of speaking again at the A Reason To Stand conference, this time in Las Vegas and I would love to meet you there! You can see all the info HERE, but It’ll be on the 28th of this month and you can use my code: FOX for $25 off your ticket! I love connecting with so many of you and hearing your stories at these conferences, and I hope you can make it. ♡♡

  xoxoxo


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Open heart moment: - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens

Springtime Ponytail - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens

Hi friends,

     Today I fixed my hair in a spring-inspired style.  I created a front poofy section, then made a hair bow with part of my hair.  I gathered the length of my hair into a low ponytail, and folded it up into a short ponytail held in place with rose gold clips.  Several people I met throughout the day complimented me on my hairstyle, so kind of them.  Thank you for coming to visit my blog, so kind of you!







 
 
 





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Springtime Ponytail - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens

Tulips and Cherry Blossoms in Ashikaga Flower Park~ a perfect place to take hair pictures - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens

Hi dear friends,

     My sister and I stopped in Japan for a few days on our way to the US, and today we visited our favorite flower park in Ashikaga, Japan.  I wore my hair in the cage braid like I shared a few days ago on my blog.  How beautiful to see the tulips in person, and meet new friends throughout the day.  If you ever visit Japan, be sure to visit Ashikaga Flower Park <3


















My diy strawberry purse is very popular!














 




 

Inside the gift shop~

So cute!
 




My strawberry purse fits right in~

 
In a few weeks the wisteria will be blooming~


The sun is beginning to get low~





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Tulips and Cherry Blossoms in Ashikaga Flower Park~ a perfect place to take hair pictures - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens