Inspiration Wednesday #3

"Work like there is someone working twenty-four hours a day to take it all away from you."

- Mark Cuban

I found this on Instagram the other day and it gave my work ethic a hefty kick up the bum! Mark Cuban is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks (NBA basketball team) and is listed in the Forbes 400 richest people in America.

Cara Delevingne and Essence Goodies!

Very recently I won a competition on the Essence UK Facebook page (what? I never win anything!) In order to win you simply had to comment on the post and state which celeb's style you loved most - I wrote about how much I loved Cara Delevingne's casual yet glamorous style! In the post I received a selection of cosmetics by Essence (as shown above) and some of these are absolutely gorgeous. Here are my thoughts on some of my favourites.

Nail Polish

Unfortunately I am allergic to a chemical in most nail polishes so I can't use the nail art paper or the lovely sparkling nail polish that Essence have sent me, as much as I love the way they look! I will however be giving them to my friend Millie (check out her blog, Becoming Mrs P!) who I know will put them to great use!

BB Cream

I have been after a good BB cream for a while now so I was delighted to receive this! I was given the cream in the shade '02 natural' which is a little darker than my natural complexion, however it matches the darkest tones of my skin and therefore is perfect for summer and gives me that natural slight bronzed look! The BB cream claims to be hydrating, and while I can't say I have found it to be worthy of this I have not found it to be drying on my skin either - perhaps this would work best after using a moisturiser.

Lip Tint

After debating with my boyfriend over whether the colour was red or pink, I can definitely say I love it regardless! You can layer this to give as light or as bold pigmentation as you want.

Sun Club All-in-one Bronzing Highlighter

I have bronzers, I have highlighters and I have blushers. Since I found Sleek's Face Form palette I had no need to be carrying around each in a separate pot and I love having all three in one palette. This all-in-one bronzing highlighter offers something a bit different in that it has several shades of bronzer, blusher and a highlight which can be blended together with your brush to create your desired effect! Love it.

Eye Pencil in Black

This eye pencil is absolutely fab for creating a dark smokey eye effect like Cara's. This inspired me to re-create her look using my new make-up products, and some current favourites! 

Cara's Look

L-R: Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil, Essence Smokey Eye Pencil, Rimmel Scandaleyes by Kate Moss, Essence BB Cream, Essence lipstick, Essence All-in-one Bronzing Highlighter and Natural Collection Blush in Pink Cloud.

I used the Smokey Eye Pencil over my eyelids and along the crease to re-create Cara's signature dark smokey eye look. I then applied the Kate Moss Scandaleyes Mascara in Jet Black (current fave mascara) and the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil for her dark eyebrows she is so well-known for.

I also used the brown tones of the bronzing highlighter to contour beneath my cheekbones, then blended a mixture of the blush and highlighter together with my Natural Collection blush (which is pretty old now but I still adore the shade). I applied these lightly to the apples of my cheeks and along the cheekbones to create a soft, subtle blush. Lastly I used the pink lipstick for a subtle neutral lip that Cara so often goes for!

Let me know in the comments your favourite celebrity looks and whose style you most admire! :)

Lil x

Cheerleading!

Over the weekend I was away in Telford taking part in the BCA University Nationals and National Championships with my university squad. With great excitement I took up cheerleading in my first year of university and became part of the Level 2 squad. This year (my third and final year) was the first time we were able to take part in the competitions along with our Level 3 squad (who had been the previous years) and it was absolutely incredible!

Although we didn't place I think I speak for everyone when I say we had the most fun we'd had in ages and loved every second. The rest of our team sat at the front of the mat and screamed like crazy for us the whole way through. We weren't marked on 'spirit' but we had the best, most excited cheer faces going. Performing the routine we'd worked so hard on over the past year was amazing. Our performance at the University Nationals was good but at the National Championships the next day we did so much better and all left the mat feeling a huge sense of achievement. It's a feeling none of us will be forgetting for a while (that is, until we compete again in May!)

Here's a picture from the competition:

(I'm the one not cartwheeling!)

I've had a few mixed responses from people when I tell them I do cheerleading, but when it has given me some of the best friends I've made at university, and some of the most incredible and enjoyable experiences of my life, I honestly couldn't care less about the stereotypes!

I love hearing about the hobbies other people do so comment below about the hobby you enjoy the most!