A brief history of makeup

I don't know about you, but I love knowing the history or 'behind the scenes of things.' Whenever I'm watching a film or documentary I HAVE to google the actors/characters/history around it all.

So why not do that with makeup too? Know the origins of your makeup and believe me it'll make you appreciate the simplicity of modern day makeup.

This post was inspired by Lisa Eldridge's book 'Face Paint' which by the way, you have to read and is so instagrammable it's amazing. Lisa also did a video to go alongside her book where she recreated iconic looks throughout the ages from Frida Kahlo to David Bowie. Looking back upon all these makeup looks really shows how trends have changed but also how some are repeating themselves. Lisa also owns a lot of vintage makeup and has even used it in videos.

So down to the juicy bits, 10 facts on the history of makeup: 

1. Makeup as we know it today has only been commercially available for the last 100 years.
2. The first indicator of makeup was in 164.000bc in a South African cave where archaeologists found ground up rocks that would be used on the body.
3. 'Geisha' makeup was the first type of makeup to make use of a white face, they would use rice flour mixed with water.
4. Green eyeshadow was used by the Egyptians to ward off evil spirits.
5. Kohl eyeliner was used to protect eyes from the sun in ancient Egyptian times.

6. In the 1800s, hair dye was made out of coal tar.
7. To maintain a white face in the Victorian era, they would sometimes eat a mixture of arsenic, vinegar and chalk. Lots of people died of organ failure because of this.

8. Ancient Romans used sheep's fat and blood to create nail varnish (ew!).
9. Kiehl's is the oldest makeup brand still functioning today. It was founded in 1851 and specialised in skincare.

10. In 1998, Two Faced were the first brand to invent glitter eyeshadow, look how far that's come! 

Nooks of... Southampton

Moving to a new place instantly makes me wants to explore it especially coming to a city when I've lived in a country village with 2000 people for the majority of my life. I'm always wanting to discover the 'nooks' of places that perhaps people don't always know exist.

Hopefully this will turn into a mini series where I can travel to all different places and share my experiences. I mean, who doesn't love to travel, eat good food and enjoy a little bit of culture? My advice is grab as many friends as you can find, research the nearest city (natural beauty, good shops and most importantly best foodie places) and off you go. Memories of a lifetime. 

So here are my little nooks that I have found living in Southampton for a year and a half. 

The Frog and Frigate 

A teeny tiny pub which you can probably fit maximum 30 people in there but whenever I've been it's always above capacity. Not only is it a pub but also does an alternative student night (I mean how could I say no.) If you like the alternative music bands/singers such as The Kooks, Jamie T, Courteeners, Oasis, Alt J, Arctic Monkeys etc... then this is definitely the place for you. Other perks include free pizza, you can dance on the tables and DJ also doubles up as a photographer (see below for candid, definitely sober evidence).

Weston beach 

Sometimes city life can get a bit overwhelming and you just feel like you need a bit of a fresh air break, especially me being the country bumpkin that I am. Being by the sea was a big draw to Southampton for me and I lived in the centre of England where the nearest sea was two hours away. I came across Weston beach which is just across the itchen bridge. A pebbly beach, ice cream/chip van all year round and just some peace and quiet. It also has a long promenade behind the beach for those who want a place to wander/run. A corner of peace in the big city. 

Ocean Village

Being a student and being classy doesn't always come hand in hand. But why not have a classy night out with your partner/friends? Ocean Village has loads of bars and restaurants along the seafront that do food and drinks to die for. A little expensive maybe but there's no harm treating yourself on loan day right?! I definitely would recommend Pitcher and Piano as they do a mean fish finger sandwich. It's also a great place to people watch as there are huge great yachts surrounding you, just for a second you can even imagine yourself owning one. 

Keep your eye out for more in this series, where should I go next...

Favourite eyeshadow palettes

Eyeshadow is probably one of my favourite makeup products because you can do so much with it, you can completely change your eyes and is so easy to add colour to your face. I always admire people who wear brightly coloured eyeshadow like red and blue and it always draws me into their eyes. Not only do I love bright colours but there are so many good palettes around now which do amazing neutral shades that really suit all skin colours.

Here are a few of my favourites:

The Magic by Juvia's place - £30

The shades in this palette are not for the faint hearted. They're beyond pigmented so beware if you don't like bold looks. The colours scream opulence from a shimmery blue to bright red, you could simply use any of these colours all over the lid by themselves and they would look incredible.

Urban Decay Naked Petite heat - £26

There are so many different looks you could do with just these 6 shades. This would be perfect for the on-the-go girl and would create amazing looks for day to night. A perfect alternative to the big Naked heat palette, all the shades you need to create a warm smokey eye.

Urban Decay Naked Smokey - £39.50

I know I know, another Naked palette but I can't get enough of them. I use this palette everyday with my eyebrows as it has the perfect brown (whiskey) that isn't too warm and won't smudge throughout the day. I love having dark smokey eyes because 1. You look super sexy and sultry 2. Might as well blend in your dark circles with your makeup. So many looks to create all from one palette!

Morphe 35W - £23

All the previous eyeshadow palettes are a little expensive so here's a perfect cheap alternative. A beautiful selection of warm and cool colours all with great payoff and blend so easily together. Oh, and did I mention the price...

How to turn a look from day to night

Rushing here there and everywhere is part of our daily lives and we have no time to spruce up our look from day to night. But here are two easy looks that literally take two minutes and can definitely be done in a moving vehicle. A few products go a long way and can make a dramatic difference to your look. Above is a classic daytime look that I wear on a daily basis:

• Simple base of foundation and concealer  
• Bronzer and highlighter on the cheeks 
• Brown eyeshadow and eyebrow gel through the eyebrows 
• Same brown eyeshadow through the crease of the lid 
• Cat flick eyeliner with liquid liner and topped with mascara on the lashes 
• Simple nude lipstick 

 The products used are so easy to find and can be drugstore or high street, tailor your everyday look to suit your eyes and skin type/texture/colour.

Below is the first way I transformed this look using only two products that you could probably find stuffed at the bottom of your handbag.  I went for a glossy lid using pawpaw balm but any lip balm would do the same job and a bright red lip (Charlotte Tilbury). So simple yet so effective, you do have to be aware of the balm as it can make your eyes smudge a little but definitely gives a cool girl grungy vibe.

The next look is a bit heavier but just as easy to do as the first one. It definitely makes a statement. I used two eyeshadows from The Magic Palette by Juvia's Place, a shimmery light blue and a deep dark blue. I first used my finger to smudge over the light blue all over the lid and blended it out with a clean finger. I then used one fluffy brush to blend the darker blue into the crease. Finally I used my pinky finger to sweep the darker blue on the lower lashline. Believe me, fingers are one of the best tools and I only used one brush for this look! To top it off I added a glossy nude lip with a revlon lip paint. A slick ponytail is perfect to show off your eyes on the dance floor.

Try out these looks and see what other looks you can do using 3 products or less, you'll be surprised how much you can transform your look. I guarantee you'll definitely turn some heads.

5 ways to deal with stress

Stress is probably one of the biggest things to affect our general population nowadays. Whether its stress at work or at school or uni; it can affect us in so many ways some that might not even be obvious to us. Whenever I feel stressed or anxious with uni or daily life I like to take a moment and do one or even all five of these techniques. Perhaps you will laugh at how simple they all are but believe me, we all forget to do the simplest things when we are overwhelmed:

1. Yoga

Perhaps one of my favourites to relieve stress, not only will it stretch you body and make your muscles feel amazing, it will also calm your mind and give you a clear head to carry on your day. Find a half an hour video on YouTube, put on some comfy clothes, maybe a candle and relax.

2. Write a To Do list

Normally the reason we are stressed is because things have got on top of us and we have too much to do. Just take a minute and write down everything that you need to do and when it needs to be done and then prioritise. It will put your mind at ease and you can start working through it at an easy pace.

3. Breathe

The most simplest of them all but often we forget to do it normally. Step back from what is making you stressed and breathe in for 4 and out for 8 as many times as you need until you can feel your head getting clearer.

4. Do something you love

Take a break and do something you love for 10 minutes, find a funny YouTube video, draw, paint, stroke your pet, eat your favourite snack, do some exercise. Distract yourself from the stressor and do something mindless for 10 minutes. You'll feel refreshed and ready to take it all on again.

5. Think... is this worth getting stressed about?

Finally, think of everything that's stressing you out right now and consider whether it's really necessary to worry about. Stressed about a Doctors appointment? Don't, they'll hopefully be a solution to your problem when you get out. Stressed about a presentation? Just be yourself and have confidence in yourself? Stressed about not getting that summer body and it's already April? Hunny, own the curves! You'll look fab anyways.

So there is five ways to help with stress. Try them out and you'll be surprised at how good you'll feel.

Sketchblog

The key aim for this blog is to be informative and insightful to the readers. I wanted to focus on three main areas, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. This way I would be able to show all of my interests and make it a more interesting blog.

I did used to have an old blog also 'Summerskymakeup' and did consider updating this blog but decided I wanted a fresh start instead. My old blog posts were mainly makeup and I didn't think it represented me and what I believe in nowadays.

The Title
The first challenge I had to face when creating a new blog was what to call it. The reason I chose 'meg loves' was because it was short and memorable and it epitomizes what I was planning to write about. At first I just had it as 'megloves' with no space but decided this was too confusing for the readers. I chose a bold font and it was all in capital letters, however I decided I wanted more than just a title to go at the start of the blog. That's when I decided on a hand drawn background image of my eyes. I used biro as I wanted it to be a slightly messy not perfect image that also had impact, I then digitally manipulated it on a photo app on my laptop to up the contrast. Art is something I would perhaps like to reflect in my blog at a later date so I thought this would be a nice segway.

The Posts
The main aim of the posts were to be helpful in some way as that is what I believe blog posts should be about. Perhaps one of my top posts was 'How to turn a look from day to night' as it was creative and this is the blog post is normally always search for when looking through blogs. I would like to do more posts on body confidence or a look book as again I think it would relate to more people and expand my blog even more.

The Images
All images that were taken by me were done on an IPhone, I used natural lighting as this gives a perfect lighting effect on my images. I edited them on an app called facetune on my phone to make them look bright and perfected. Having high standard images on my blog is important because it adds more context to the posts and makes it look professional.

The Layout 
I first off starting with a template layout that was provided by blogger but didn't think it looked very professional so then changed to a website called pipdig where you could buy your own template. I liked the layout more and the range of features it came with. It also made my posts look more professional.

The Initial ideas and possible ideas for the future 

The Vintage perks

Oooo the glitz and glamour of vintage... Makes you think of red carpet Hollywood or beautiful Chanel diamond encrusted dresses that were hand sewn and made to measure, with lashings of red lipstick...

Perhaps you don't always think of a pokey little shop in the middle of the city crammed with clothes from all eras and kind of smelling like your Grandma's house. But believe me, vintage/worn clothes are the way forward, why?

• They're unique clothes! No one will have what you're wearing as they're normally one of a kind pieces. 
• You can get some super cheap pieces for high quality.
• I'll let you into a little secret, vintage pieces don't have to be bought. If you have a hoarder of a mum like mine, she kept all her clothes from when she was in her 20s and I have slyly nicked them into my wardrobe. You know what they say, fashion repeats itself! So ask your Mum, Dad, Granny, Auntie, Uncle, Grandad for a rummage through their clothes. (Beware there will be some pieces which you will question why on earth it was made and what possessed them to wear it)
• Vintage pieces are normally really well made and were probably quite expensive back in the day. This means they'll definitely last and will look high quality, stray away from fast fashion and invest in quality vintage! 
• Gender doesn't matter, men's clothes can be women's and vice versa, there normally isn't specific gender sections in vintage shops so there is way more choice. 

Still not convinced vintage is the best?

Here of some examples of pieces I have bought/stole from family that I believe can be incorporated into today's trends. 

'Operation Raleigh' sweatshirt

I pinched this from my mum, she got this when she went to Africa and helped communities out there. Not only is it super comfy but has some real sentimental value to my mum and she loves when I wear it. There is so many ways to style this jumper but I love it with baggy mom jeans and trainers, super casual and comfy.

Moon and Star earrings 

These were also my mum's and I just love them. See, jewellery can be passed down too! Timeless! These are real silver so all I had to do to make them look sparkling and brand new was to polish them.

Denim Shirt dress

Found in a vintage shop in Southampton called Beatnik's Emporium (it was only £8!!), now being a short arse I wear this as a dress but this was probably a mans shirt. I style this with tights (fishnets or normal), some cool boots and a bright red lip. It could also be cinched in at the waist with a belt or tucked into some jeans if you wanted to double denim it.

Denim Jacket

You literally cannot go wrong with a denim jacket. I don't think they will ever go out of fashion. This one was bought from the same vintage shop as the dress and I only paid £30 for it which is a complete bargain for the quality. To make it more unique I got these star studs for the hem of the jacket to just add a little sparkle. You can literally throw this over any outfit you will look cool and edgy. Vintage shops normally have an abundance of these in so have a rummage.

Striped 'Amor Lux' top

Another piece nicked from my mum but as she would tell you "Amor Lux was all the range, everyone had one back in the day." Think she was a bit miffed that I wasn't too bothered about the brand more about the top. Stripes never go out of fashion, a staple in every wardrobe. I love this top with a red lip and denim but think it would look super cute with dungarees if you're daring enough (any suggestions on where I can get some dungarees?!)

Shop vintage, change your life. 

Bit dramatic there I know but seriously, the uniqueness of these pieces are amazing and can be styled with so many modern clothes. You may even save some money too.

Films you have to see in your lifetime

Watching films is perhaps one of my favourite things to do whenever I'm home. No matter what you've been feeling that day, a film can change your perspective completely. With a million genres, finding films to suit all is a mission in itself. So, I have compiled a list of my favourite films that will make you laugh and cry.

1. Now is Good

A massive tear jerker, a really heart warming story of a girl with cancer just trying to get through life. Now as soon as you hear the 'Cancer' word, it instantly sends shivers down peoples spine and you think that it's going to an over dramatic sad story and you're just going to be depressed at the end. This story line is different because not only does it show the nitty gritty ins and outs of of cancer but also the small celebrations of life that perhaps we take for granted. It stars Dakota Fanning who plays the strong independent female lead who definitely doesn't take any bullshit from anyone. Get the tissues ready, this ones a hard but uplifting watch.

2. Dirty Dancing

An absolute classic film. Introduced to me by my mum (she was way too excited about me watching it), it has been passed down through generations as being a feel-good simple film. Probably the most iconic thing about this film is the music which I guarantee, you will be humming for days and imagining yourself as being baby thrown up in the air by Patrick Swayze. Perfect for a girls night in or a boys one? (You'd be surprised how many boys I've met that love this film too).

3. Submarine

Not really a film that is well known but is very quirky and hilarious. Directed by Richard Ayoade who in turn is also hilarious, this film is about the struggles of growing up. The main character is played by Craig Roberts who you  may remember as Rio Wellard in Tracy Beaker back in the day. The dry humour is perfectly accompanied with unique camera angles which perfectly portray the inner mind of an awkward teenage boy. Some parts will definitely make you question why you even started watching it in the first place but believe me, you won't be able to turn it off. Oh and all the music is by Arctic Monkeys, a different film unlike the hollywood blockbusters.

4. Breakfast at Tiffany's

I think everyone must have watched this film as it is an all time classic. Full of glamour and mischief and I think every girl has wanted to be Holly Golightly at one point. Audrey Hepburn plays her so well and I know I have definitely copied her eyebrows at some point. A feel good film.

Female celebrities you have to follow

Fed up with celebs doing stuff on social media just to get famous? Me too...

To avoid attention seekers here I have compiled a list of female stars you should keep your eye on who are actually doing something useful:

Emma Watson @emmawatson (insta)

As you've probably recently heard, Emma is a trail blazer for the 'Time's up' campaign. It has been sweeping across Hollywood and the rest of the world highlighting sexual harassment, it grew from the #metoo which stemmed from the Weinstein allegations. Not only is she promoting awareness but also donated £1 million to the cause. Her Instagram bio also has a go fund me page called the 'Justice and Equality cause.' She has also raised issues of race and other trials women face in modern day society. She also has some pretty good behind the scenes shots of her incredible life. What's not to like?

Anna Kendrick @annakendrick47 (twitter)

Possibly the funniest woman on Twitter, this is a girl who doesn't take herself too seriously. Anna is a perfect example of a funny, outgoing woman who isn't scared to talk about taboo subjects (a recent tweet about tampons certainly had me giggling). Having this personal connection with her audience means she is relatable and not just a high powered celeb on a pedestal. Definitely a funny lady to follow. 

Alicia Keys @aliciakeys (insta)

Not only is Alicia beautiful in every way; she isn't afraid to bare all her flaws, she hardly wears any makeup and is comfortable in her own skin. Her Instagram is all about giving out positive vibes and even raises awareness for black rights in her recent posts for #blackHERstory. 

The Pixiwoo sisters @pixiwoo @pixiwoos (insta)

Possibly two of my favourite Youtubers because of  their unique personalities. They don't do just the very-pretty-cut-that-crease-insta makeup, they range from everyday makeup to really out there editorial that pushes the boundaries of makeup. Their honest Instagram stories about not only makeup but family life, mental health and current affairs. They do regular Instagram lives answering the questions of viewers and they don't hold back. In Sam Chapman's recent Insta Live, one viewer asked "Are you open with your kids about your depression?" She answered honestly and instantly explaining her situation. In need of no-bullshit, inspirational, working mums? Follow Sam Chapman and Nic Haste.

Paloma Faith @palomafaith (insta)

Adorable is Paloma's middle name (no not really but she is), her workout stories are hilarious showing us viewers how much she hates working out (scarily relatable if you ask me.) Perhaps the thing that Paloma is most known for, apart from her singing, is her style. Colourful, textured and totally bonkers; her fun loving personality shines through her fashion.