In Bloom!

Hey! Don't know about where you all live, but the weather here has been amazing for the last few days and it's really cheered me up! So to celebrate the onset of spring I did a little mani inspired by the beautiful cherry blossoms that will hopefully soon be in bloom outside my window...

It made me smile all day when I had this on my nails! I'm so glad I've actually found a decent white polish too! I was really beginning to lose hope when I found 'On The Rocks' by Jessica. The formula is great to apply and the polish is nice and opaque, it dries really quickly and it lasts a good while too. I'll definitely have to get myself some more of these! Anyway...

Speak Soon xx

My Take On Tux!

HeyHey! Back from Venice with some great ideas for a new series, but until then here's a mani to tide you over...

I'm loving monochrome mani's at the minute! Can't get enough...and I think the tuxedo theme is just too cute!

Shellac Nail Art: Valentines In Venice!

Hey Hey Lovelies!! Off to Venice in the morning so I just thought I'd leave you with my Shellac mani for the week. I don't really do Valentines, so it's not your traditional hearts and kisses type thing! Hope you like it all the same :)

It's Carnivale whilst I'm there so I'm hoping to come back MAJORLY inspired to create some new looks!

Speak Soon xx

Pigments And Palettes Blogger Of The Month!!

What an honor! I'm so so happy to be featured this month on one of my all time favourite blogs Pigments and Palettes. Please stop by and check it out! There's an interview with moi, and I also designed a look for Meredith's Palette Challenge. I'll leave you with a cheeky peek...

Speak Soon xx

Makeup For Your Alter Ego: Part Five

Aaaaghhhh!!  So here it is, the fifth and final look in the Alter Ego Series.  Dun dun dunnnn...Mine! I've been f-reaking out about posting this for ages now!  The bloggers that have collaborated with me on this series have all produced some incredible looks so I've really been feeling the pressure haha.  I think you'll all agree it's been an amazing series and I'm really grateful to everyone who's created a look for it!  Thank you so so much ladies <3 

Right!  Rather than babble on nervously for about an hour, I'm just gonna post my look and let my pictures do the talking!  So, here it is...

The concept for my look was about an alternate personality burning away inside me...my Alter E-Glow if you will haha (sorry I couldn't resist that) coursing through my veins.

On the outside I'm generally VERY reserved. My hair, my makeup, my mannerisms, anything to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to myself. But inside I have all this crazy shhh going on! I'm just incredibly conscious of how I come across to others and sometimes this makes me afraid to let go. Don't get me wrong I'm not contrived, just weirdly shy and very self conscious. So to me, my Alter Ego is the person inside I wish I was brave enough to be!

It really took a lot for me to post this look. Those of you that know me or have followed me for some time will know, I NEVER post full face shots of myself! But this time I couldn't wuss out!

I really liked the idea of the normal, reserved look juxtaposed with the bubbling eruption of the alter ego, and I also wanted to challenge my own strange obsession with symmetry. Hence the half and half approach to the look.  

So there you have it! My Alter Ego! Hope y'all like it!

Speak Soon xx

Makeup For Your Alter Ego: Part Four

So I'm really excited to be bringing you another look from the Alter Ego Series today. It's from someone whom you may recognise from many of my own previous posts...show some love to Hoz, my baby sister (in-law)!! As well as being both a very beautiful and entertaining model for me, Hoz is also incredibly talented with a makeup brush herself! She's created some absolutely stunning looks in the past, and has now decided to start a blog of her own to showcase them. Please stop by and check her out over at Beauty_Spot. You wont be disappointed!

Anyway, less blab! Here's some pictures of Holly's Alter Ego...

If you've already stopped by and checked out Holly's blog (which I know by now you have, right?) you'll know what an amazing job she's done with this look. It's so far removed from her everyday persona! Ordinarily she rocks a rather stunning, and not to mention VERY perfect vintage pin-up style look that I have to admit I'm a teensy bit jealous of haha. This is always accompanied by an enormous smile, so to see her like this is a complete transformation!

Here's what Holly had to say about this look herself..."Hmmm, here's a toughie! What is my Alter Ego Natalie asks me...? Well my personally traits are quite simple (like me hahaha) if I were to describe myself it would be that I laugh pretty much at anything including myself! My mum says I have an opera laugh! I am REALLY laid back and easy going and I am never phased by anything. Any attitude or what I would call worrying things in general life go straight over my head. I never really get upset or angry, so for my look I decided to create the complete opposite of how I look at life. I wanted to go for a worried, sad and upset look with loads of tears, I also included colours which I HATE to wear on my eyes just to represent how un-like me this really is."

Thankfully this last pic is much more like the Holly I know and love! Anyways, hope you guys all like this look as much as me. Stay tuned for the final installment...it's mine!

Speak Soon xx

Makeup For Your Alter Ego: Part Three

So so so excited to be bringing you the next post in the Alter Ego Collaboration Series today! The next blogger is someone whom I absolutely love! She's witty, intelligent, incredibly talented and has one of my all time favourite blogs. I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for this blogger. She is someone who's words have been of huge encouragement to me, and it's an absolute honor to have her posting on my blog today! So, without further ado, I give you...

The Meredith Jessica from PigmentsandPalettes.com!

What an amazing Alter Ego look!  Here's what Meredith had to say about it..."Eventually, I decided that my alter-ego wasn't necessarily a different persona. I started to think of it as the fiery force you feel when you're at your most confident, your most unshakably awesome. I knew it had to be bold and bright, because that's how I feel when I'm at my best. That's it, I thought. My best me. My beast me! My inner beauty beast! Behold! Pull back the skin and reveal the beast within a.k.a. "The Beauty is A Beast" ...

For fear of over-explaining it and coming across as cliche, I'm going to try and let the images speak for themselves. There isn't a lot of explanation for what I did anyways, I just did what felt right. It's an allusion to my inner animal, my rainbow of personalities, etc. But if you want to get literal, my alter ego is a really gay zebra. Brilliant."

Merediths looks are always a pleasure to behold and this is nooooo exception. It's INCREDIBLE!! And totally appeals to all my senses. The drama, the vibrant colour! Not that I would ever put myself on a par with such greatness, but it does freak me out a little, just how similar our makeup mindsets can be at times haha. I know you'll all love this look as much as me, and I hope your all enjoying the series so far.  Stay tuned for the next installment...

Speak Soon xx

Makeup For Your Alter Ego: Part Two

I'm so excited today to be bringing you the next look in the Alter Ego series, as it's been done by one of my absolute favourite bloggers. I admire this persons work a great deal, and whilst we may live on opposite sides of the world, I've come to consider this person to be a friend in the blogging world. I'm honored to have them posting on my blog today, so rather than blabber on like I usually do I'm just going to cut to the chase...

Today's blogger is the very beautiful and incredibly talented Sonja from The Beautiful Life Of The Girl Next Door. Sonja's looks are always incredible, and this one today is no exception...

Does Sonja's Alter Ego remind you of anyone?

Pink maybe? Yeah? Let's hear why..."When Natalie asked me to be part of this alter ego collaboration, of course I jumped at the opportunity. I was thrilled to be grouped with the other incredibly talented people who are a part of this. However, I also knew that I couldn't just throw something together quickly and have it measure up to these other ladies. So I had to think about it. A lot. This was an opportunity to go wherever and take it as far as I wanted.

In real life I'm a quiet, shy girl who doesn't like people looking at me. It makes me very uncomfortable when people look at me. I also don't like confrontation so I'm not really good at speaking my mind (I'm getting better though haha) and I want everyone to like me. So trying to think of my alter ego, I wanted her to be someone who was bold and doesn't mind being the center of attention. Someone who is proud of who she is and not afraid to say what's on her mind, without being obnoxious, even if it ruffles a couple of feathers. The celebrity I related the most with was the singer, Pink, who notoriously said, "Kanye West is the biggest piece of s*** on earth. Quote me." when he took the microphone from Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV VMA's. She's not afraid to be herself and say what she thinks, she's edgy, yet feminine and I love that about her.

I wanted to do a look that represented a bolder side of myself because I know she's in there somewhere, she's just hiding under a sweet, nice, quiet girl haha!"

Like I said, Sonja's looks are always AMAZING and this one is no exception. I Love it!! The drama, the colours, everything!! And I'm sure you all do too. Make sure to stay tuned for the next installment...

Speak soon xx

New Year New You: Makeup For Your Alter Ego!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you've all had a wonderful holiday, I sure have! I'm really excited to be posting today, as I have something quite special for you! But first I wanted to say hello and welcome to all my new followers, thanks for joining. And a huge thank you to all my regular followers for sticking with me...

THANK YOU XX.

But now, down to business. As with every new year, come the obligatory resolutions, and while I was thinking about mine I came up with a great idea...I started thinking about what changes I should make to myself and my life, and this in turn caused me to examine my personality and character traits. I started thinking about what the opposite of me would be like, and then I had a genius idea! Why not design a make up look for that opposite me. Intrigued by this thought I started asking others what their Alter Ego would look like and then I though...why not do a series? So I asked some of my favourite bloggers and friends to join in and they said yes :D So the next few posts will be about show casing their Alter Ego looks. I'm so excited, so without further ado...

The first in the series is Kassie from Unique Desire! I love Kassie's blog and adore her looks, so I was honoured when she said she wanted to be a part of this. So here it is...

Did you guess it? All pink and perky...Kassie's Alter Ego is Barbie!

And here's why..."I had a really difficult time trying to figure out exactly what my "alter ego" would be. I juggled with icons such as rihanna and beyonce and even Shrinkle from Sugarpill. I ended up having to ask every one of my friends and even they had a hard time coming up with something. In the end I decided to go with a Barbie inspired look because I am nothing like a barbie! She is an iconic symbol of what women should be instead of being who they are. She is tall, busty and blonde. Always wears light makeup and pink. Tons and Tons of pink! She is always perky and cheerful and doesn't seem to have a sad thought in her entire being. I on the other hand am short, a brunette with a spunky attitude. I don't take crap from people and have a pretty bad temper at times. I am crazy and artistic and try not to give a damn about what other people think of me. I absolutely detest the color pink and hate wearing it, and honestly I don't really like looking at it. And for all these reasons is why I chose Barbie as my Alter Ego :)"

Kassie's look is absolutely AH-MAZING!!!! And I love her reasons behind it too! What a great way to kick off the series. Stay tuned for more of your favourite bloggers, and some more amazing looks!

Speak Soon xx