Why I chose to pursue Fashion (and why it's getting harder to love it)

I am always fascinated by people and how they came to pursue their careers, infact i'm even curious about why they don't pursue something i'll think they're really good at and so I want to talk to you about how I got into fashion and why I'm currently in a love/hate relationship with it. 

I was always a very tall child, i'm the tall one in all my old primary school photos and at the age of 9/10 America's next top Model was huge on the telly and I instantly fell in love with the whole idea of becomming a model and wearing gorgeous dresses for a living. I'll be totally honest, there was no way in hell that little obsession was going to come true for me but I did rock a fake runway in my house whenever I got the chance so I guess we'll call it good characted building for a young mind with long legs.

So anyway that blatantly never happened but as my interest in finding out as much as possible about these models grew, I found myself on MTV watching 'The Fabulous Life of...' where they would show you all of the designers celebrities and models wore and soon I found my obsession with designers grew.

In school I was always good at Art and as I progressed to highschool I was presented with Craft and Design which turned out to be an even bigger success. Whilst Art at my school had a design part with it I always felt they went down unlogical paths and it wasn't so much about functionality of clothing but about how out there it could be which to be honest went against everything I felt about clothes at the time. Craft Design however was more my thing, functionality all the way with logical design so I took the ideals of my craft class and applied them to art and beautiful things happened. These two were definitely my best classes at school, I remember actually being excited to do the homework for them as well which was a rarity so I poured my heart and soul into them.

By this age my life was Vogue and E! I spent my evenings and weekends looking at models (some things never change) and started to find out about the world of online fashion blogging. I remember seeing Tavi and Style Rookie and having my mind blown at the knowledge of a 12 year old and really stepped my game up in the fashion stakes. I had to know as much about each designer as I could with the tools available to me and so I started my own blog and got to work. It was also at this age that I started obsessing with non-fiction fashion books. My mum and dad would find me in waterstones in the art section pouring over fashion drawings and begging them to buy me the books and to this day I still collect as much as I can if I can afford it.

University was where things started to get complicated, I went to a School in the Scottish Borders and studied Garment Technology whilst working part time in a cafe to fund a lifestyle I blatantly couldn't afford. I very quickly established that there were parts of the fashion industry I loved and parts I couldn't stand at all and the same could be said for the people. I was waking up at 5am to leave for class and getting home late at night blearly eyed and frustrated that the same process would happen all over again in under 12 hours time but regardless, I tried to stay positive and as drunk as possible in order to cope.

Fashion has a lot of pretentious people in it, sadly so did my university at times, especially as we progressed through the years and things got more competitive. I longed for the weekend and to go back home to see my friends and go out to a club, making the most of the fun times before going back to to 5am starts on the Monday.

 The classes could also make me feel like a salmon fighting it's way upstream at times. Pattern cutting was 1000000000% not for me. Too much maths and numbers and stress, not eough time etc. I hated it, I remember having to really psyche myself up in the morning to get dressed and face the fear of failure I had with it. 

Design however still gave me the satisfaction it had all though highschool as well as specification writing which was also a love of mine from my craft classes so I clung to these in my last year to help battle my hatred for just about everything else at the time. Whilst I had classes I loved it felt a million times better when I'd manage to somehow pull a miracle from somewhere and get B in a pattern cutting class. That called for a celebratory glass of wine!!

By this point my love of fashion isn't sounding too fantastic however one thing that continued throughout the years at university was reading online blogs, seeing pictures in the magazines and keeping up to date with all the latest on E! which I swear was and still is an absolute oasis in my life. I had to keep reminding myself that whilst some areas of the industry drove me insane and frustrated me, there were other areas I absolutely excelled in, I just had to find a job that allowed me to pursue them all after university was finished.

It was at this point I spoke to a careers adviser and found out about garment technologists and the work they carry out in the industry. I got a mentor in the form of the form of the amazing Lindsay McKerchar and finally it felt like I had a direction to go in after I got my degree, another target in the distance to aim for but I soon found out that a piece of paper wasn't going to get me the dream job I always wanted. 

I graduated university and found myself as a visual merchandiser at the store I worked at part time through Uni. For a while I felt elated that I'd gotten a full time job in the fashion industry doing something I love but there were days where I still felt like I could achieve more. My job became less creative and more 'point to a wall and paint it the colours they tell you' plus by this point I was starting to get really frustrated with retail in general and the lack of good wages/progression they offered you. I'll be honest here, retail wages are some of the poorest out there, If I wanted to really make something of myself it would have to be somewhere else and not in an environment where people would say 'You're so young, you shouldn't spend your life in retail.' That freaked me out a bit. 

I stopped sewing, I couldn't sit down and concentrate long enough on one design to make it into a half decent outfit. My new blog, which was starting to take off, was suddenly uninteresting to me and I stopped caring about  fashion magazines and TV that I just ignored it all. It wasn't that I
hated fashion It was just that by this point I felt I'd wasted 4 years at university to end up in a sector that I could have worked in right after high school and therefore I began to feel really down and  resented my job. 

(This is where this post starts to take a little turn for the better.)

I should try and end this piece on a high note and reassure other fashion students reading this that it's not all doom and gloom and I promise you I will. I may work in a job that I really struggle to love right now but I remind myself that it is relatable to my degree, it is experience in the field. I concentrate on the things I'm good at and have taken steps to get back to loving them again. I've found the names of every scottish clothing manufacturer and I'm sending them my CV in the hopes that I can get experience doing what I originally set out to do for university. I've gotten back into this blog so that I can continue to talk to you all out there and remind myself that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get to a place where you can look back and feel that you've really achieved something and this blog gives me that. I've also just pulled out my old sketchbook and I'm about to get my pencils out and start doing what originally made me fall in love with fashion - designing- and I'll be keeping you updated on that. 

If you're in a similar position or went through similar feelings at University leave a comment below because I would love to hear from you or hear any advice you have on how you tackled it and got to a place you're really happy with and if you've been a sport and actually read all of this extremely wordy post then I want to thank you for your time also!! I just want to remind people that it pays to look at your situation in the bigger scale of things and more importantly remember why you chose the path in the first place because that's what's currently keeping me going.

Broonylou

 

My Top 5 Nude Lipsticks

Recently I've been loving my nude lipsticks, especially for work because I like to try and keep my make up looking nice and clean, nothing too crazy and so I've decided to share with you my current top 5 nude lipsticks. 

Now I didn't follow any kind of criteria when picking these I just picked my favourite 5, the nude lipsticks I find myself reaching for the most in day-to-day life.

The lipsticks aren't listed in order of preference because I love them all so I'll list them how they appear in the photographs and will tell you why I wear them and what I like about them. 

1.

First up in this top 5 is MAC Myth, a lipstick I ended up buying when I was in London at Fashion Week and therefore has a little sentimental value to it. 

This lipstick smells amazing, as does all lipstick from MAC and the colour is fantastic for someone with pale skin like myself. However, when I have a tan this lipstick makes my lips look so much lighter than the rest of my face- the dreaded 'foundation lips'- so in that regard it's not as diverse as the rest of the nude colours on this list.

As for the texture of this lipstick it isn't as smooth as some of the others to apply in this list but it is very durable as a result and I've had no problems with it coming off as the day progresses. 

In terms of cost and packaging I've always had a problem with the canister MAC lipsticks come in. I know a lot of you out there love to collect MAC lippies but something about the packaging seems quite cheap to me, maybe its the matte platic container but it's just never appealed to me in a big way like my YSL lipsticks do. The price of MAC lipsticks is much more affordable though and most importantly they are one brand that is super easy to get a hold of, especially in the UK. 

2.

I have a small obsession with Urban Decay lipsticks and I'm amazed that this particular nude was one of the last I bought instead of one of the first. 

Urban Decay lipsticks have fantastic coverage, each lipstick is smooth and this is no exception. 

Out of all these lipsticks this is one that I reach for more often than the others simply because I think the colour is extremely pretty for a nude, it's less beige and more pinky which makes it really quite feminine and perfect for wearing to work.

The colour itself is bold and stays on really well but remains creamy on the lips unlike MAC myth which is durable because its a drier texture. 

In terms of cost this lipstick is really affordable for a brand that is forever increasing in popularity and the packaging is really sleek and pretty and these lipsticks in particular are the ones I'd recommend to someone getting into make up and wanting to expand into more expensive brands. 

3.

This Estee Lauder lipstick was a free gift as part of a big purchase I done at the Estee Lauder counter for my sister and as it was the first ever one I bought I naturally bought a nude. 

Now this colour is stunning, it's extremely beige and the colour pay off is amazing which is what you'd expect from £24 lipstick. The formula is extremely creamy, probably on par with the YSL lipsticks except this lipstick isn't as durable as a result. I've also found that the lipstick itself moves around in the tube after being used a few times because the formula is so soft and therefore I have to poke at it to move it back into the middle to stop it rubbing off against the sides of the tube. Bad times. 

The packaging for this is stunning, probably my second favourite after the YSL again because it has this lovely sleek navy blue tube and a magnetic clasp that keeps both parts of the canister together. 

4.

Ah YSL Rouge Volupte lipsticks, anyone who has followed this blog for a long time will know I am in LOVE with these, in my eyes they just can't do anything wrong and their Nude Beige was my first high end make up purchase. 

YSL lipsticks are super creamy and have this lovely mango smell to them which makes them an absolute dream to apply to the lips. The colour pay off on these lipsticks is also amazing and one coat is really all you need to set you up for the day ahead. 

As for the canister it is honestly one of the prettiest on the market and is a reason why so many people love to collect them. The only downside to a YSL lipstick is the price which can be pretty steep depending on what colour you're getting, if I'm speaking candidly I would think twice before buying these if I didn't have my discount from work and I owe my collection to the fact I'm lucky to get 20% off.

This lipstick doesn't have amazing staying power but to be honest you wouldn't mind because there's something really nice about pulling out your YSL and reapplying it throughout the day. 

5.

And now for the cheapest lipstick on this list.

Well, actually it's not a lipstick but a lip lacquer that is applied to the lips and dries a matte colour but at a mere £3 it is the cheapest nude in the top 5. 

As you can see from the swatch photo below it is the darkest nude and extremely beige in colour but because of this is works well on both tanned skin and pale skin. 

The trick with these lip lacquers is to only apply one layer. The colour pay off with these is brilliant considering the price but with these formulas its natural to want to apply more than one layer to really build up a bold looking lip. However, more than one layer of this product and you could literally pick it off your lips. 

The good news is that just one layer of this on your lips is enough to last all day because it has amazing staying power. 

This product doesn't really have a smell to it but amazingly for the £3 they cost to buy the canister doesn't look particularly cheap. Indeed I have 3 of these now and when they're side by side there is something quite high end about them because of the sleek long tubes and matte black lids, of course it is all made of plastic but still...!

 Starting from left to right: 

mac myth - £15.50

urban decay native - £13.95

estee lauder pure colour envy sculpting lipstick in insatiable ivory - £24

ysl rouge volupte no1 nude beige - £22.50-£26 

mua luxe velvet lip lacquer - £3 

Each of these nude lipsticks has a certain quality about it and different areas in which one will perform better than the other but all in all these nude lipsticks are all stunning shades and a good addition to anyones collection. 

If you have any nudes you are really loyal to feel free to share them in the comments below because I'm always in the market for a new purchase!! 

Make Up Atelier Paris - Waterproof Liquid Foundation Review

If you've been following my blog for a while you may have come across a review I done for the Make Up Atelier Paris Waterproof Gel Foundation.
(http://broonylou.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/make-up-atelier-paris-waterproof-gel.html)

I was so impressed by the foundation that I've decided to try out and review their new Waterproof Liquid Foundation and luckily if you head over to the website (http://www.makeupatelierparis.co.uk/) you can buy samples for a mere £0.75!

My relationship with this brand was built entirely from the one product but after spending some time looking through the products there's actually so many different things I want to buy and I'm really impressed with how they deal with their customers.

The only problem I have is that I can never find many reviews of the products online before I decide to buy them so I'm kind of going in blind here. The benefit of that however is that it gives me a chance to take it upon myself to provide everyone else with good reviews of their products.

So here's what the company has to say about this new foundation:

Our long lasting water resistant makeup, available in a sample jar for the purpose of colour matching to your skintone. The foundation settles on the skin to a near matte finish and is almost full coverage.

First of all the sample I ordered arrived after only a few days which was great because when I order make up I get so keen for it to arrive and I hate when it takes weeks to come through the door. I think these only took 2 or 3 days to get to me and as you can see the company gave me a tester in the colour I wanted and another tester a shade darker just in case.

I love the initiative of a company to do this. If you buy a tester in the wrong shade it can be easy to just give up and move onto something else, especially when the brand can only be bought online and you have to spend days waiting on it arriving so they try and stop this from happening by providing a second option to ensure that you find what colour matches you and ensure you buy the full sized product.

Now, onto the foundation itself. I used the lighter shade of the two testers they gave me, colour FLW2B and the shade actually matched me really well. I'm really pale and therefore tend to just go for the lightest colour offered in any foundation range/brand and this seemed as close to my natural skin colour as possible on the site.

My skin before. As you can see I have a few red spots and blemishes at the moment but nothing too crazy.

And my skin after!

As you can see the foundation has really good coverage which is consistent with the old gel foundation I had from them before and is extremely matte looking. These photos are just of the foundation on my face, no powder so you can see that there is very little shine to it.

I really like this foundation, there isn't any smell to it and in contrast to the gel foundation it feels much less cakey on the skin. I've applied this with a brush and then used a beauty blender over it to give a nice even finish and I'm happy with how it sits on my skin. It provides a really good base for the rest of my make up and after wearing it for a few hours I found it to hold up really well.

I would suggest this to anyone wanting to try out Make Up Atelier. The gel foundation was something I was dying to have because I was sick of getting shiny skin after a few hours of applying make up and this is a much more ...daily foundation in that it does the same thing without the thickness that the gel had. The gel was a nightmare to remove due to its thickness and this is much easier as well so you don't have to fight with it at the end of every day.

This is how the product appears on the website. It's packaging is nice, I've always liked being able to see the shade and most importantly it comes with a pump so you're not going to end up using more than you need and having to somehow spread the foundation all down your neck to try and stop it looking cakey (I've committed this sin before and I speak from experience.) I also like the silver around the top of the tube but the clear top puts me off, I manage to break to many of these and hate seeing all the foundation smeared around the pump after a few uses. I wish this was silver to like the Urban Decay foundation bottles you can get.

Price wise this foundation comes in at a very affordable £22 which is great considering that the gel is now priced at £28 so it's worth the price for a well-performing product that you can wear daily both to worth or a night out. To put it into perspective the NARS brightening concealer is £22 and you're getting way more product with this.

On payday I'll definitely be placing the order for mine and what's even better is that the cost of postage for the samples can be redeemed and taken off the price of a full bottle so you don't lose out on any money due to testing the product first. It's little things like that which make me really like Make Up Atelier Paris as a whole, they are really considerate towards the customer.