My productive morning routine

Hey guys!

I don’t know about you, but morning routines, evening routines and day-in-the-life vlogs are definitely my favourite thing at the moment. I love being a little bit nosy and seeing how other people start and end their day, and how it may be different from my own routine. Today I thought I’d have a go myself, so lets get started.

Truthfully, the first thing I do when I wake up is pick up my phone and have a little ( or long ) scroll through social media. I just like to take these moments to reply to any messages I received during the night, and briefly update myself on what’s going on in the world right now.

When i’m finished scrolling, I get up and make my bed. This step is absolutely non-negotiable, because it means that i’m done sleeping and the day is starting whether my grumpy, pre-caffeinated self likes it or not. If I leave my bed a mess, it can be so easy to just crawl back in and go back to sleep, then before you know it you’ve wasted the best part of the morning. Plus, it always feels nicer getting into a made bed, rather than a messy one, at the end of the day.

I then stumble downstairs in my zombie like state, and make myself either a cup of tea or coffee. Tea is for most normal mornings, and coffee is for the odd occasions when i’m really struggling to so need something stronger to get me going.

If its a weekend or day off work, then i’ll start my morning excersize after my coffee has gone down. I usually do a 30 minute burst of hiit, however it depends how I feel on the day and how much time I have. I then will have a quick shower, brush my teeth and get dressed before having breakfast ( at the moment, it’s either shreddies or porridge with banana) as i’m usually starving at this point.

Finally, I’ll apply some light makeup ( very much similar to my minimal makeup routine), and put my hair up with a cute scrunchie, then head out of the door to start my day.

That’s all guys, although this was a bit of a different post I really hope you enjoyed it! What’s one part of your routine that you can’t go without?

Take care

~ Emma x

Warm summer eyeshadow – Naked Honey tutorial and review.

Hey guys,

One of my favourite eyeshadow colours is gold. I have brown eyes, so find gold really compliments my eye colour. I’ve also had compliments on it, so thought it would be a good idea to get a nice gold eyeshadow pallete. I picked up the Naked Honey pallete and decided to try it out so I could share my thoughts with you guys. Lets get started.

Firstly, after applying concealer to my lid, I blended it out and dusted the shade Flyby all over the lid. Next, I took the shades sweet on a fluffy brush through my crease, before using the same fluffy brush to apply Swarm and Keeper over the top, and also run it along my bottom lash line. I then used a clean fluffy brush to soften the edges, before using my finger to apply the shade Amber all over the lid. To create a slight halo eye effect, I took the shade HBIC and tapped in the centre of my lid. Finally, I used a small angled brush and the shade String and placed this along my lash line – to make my eyelashes appear thicker before applying a black mascara.

My thoughts are that although I love my other naked palette, this one is definitely my favourite! I’ve worn this look on previous nights out and I’ve always had compliments on how it makes my eyes look – which I haven’t had with any other pallet before. I also find that these colours are quite special because they’re not just your normal matte browns and gold shimmers, they have a yellowy mustard tone to them which is something I haven’t seen before from other brands.

Aside from it being different, it’s also such an incredible quality – as all the Naked palettes are. Both the shimmers and mattes are very pigmented, blend beautifully and look stunning on the eye. They are also super creamy and buttery. My only complaint is I wish the first cream shade was matte as thats what I prefer, but I have lots of matte cream shades so that doesn’t matter really. Overall, this is a wonderful pallete that can be used all year round, and is definitely worth the money.

Whats your opinion on this pallete? Let me know in the comments below.

Take care

~ Emma x

July Favourites 2020

Hi guys, so lately I’ve been shopping a lot. Honestly, now work is a little more normal I’ve felt so much more relaxed in regards to my financial situation, so have splurged a little more than normal as I hardly brought anything for 3 months. Therefore, I thought it might be fun to show you guys what I brought! Plus I feel quite nostalgic when it comes to these posts, as its what my blog was very much made up of in the early days back in 2016. Anyway, without further a do, lets get started.

• Nakd Strawberry Sundae bars. In the past, I have tried some Nakd Bars before, like the cocoa orange one and carrot cake one, but haven’t been overly impressed with them. However, this new one is a game changer! It is lush, honestly it reminds me so much of the creamy part of strawberry cremes from Quality Street. Its heavenly, definitely worth a try if you want a healthier snack.

• Next, I brought these little black floral shorts, with a white daisy print. When I first picked them up, I assumed they were a cute floral skirt. However, once I got home and tried it on I was even more happy with this purchase. These are probably the comfiest, light weight shorts I own, and go so well with their a black, white or yellow vest top. Mine are a size 10 and cost £9.99. You can find them here. https://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/shorts/black-floral-print-flippy-shorts/p/651396609

• Another item from Newlook, is a white floral peplum top. I wasn’t too sure about this purchase when I first tried it on, however it has grown on me. I got it in a size 12 to be on the safe side ( I’m technically a 10, but some materials don’t quite have enough stretch so I have to size up.) and i’m so glad I did. It hides my tummy for when i’m feeling self concious or bloated, but also has the most adorable frills on the sleeves! Again, it is super light weight and comfortable to. You can find it here, for £15.99 https://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/tops/white-floral-and-spot-peplum-top/p/659968619

• Onto skin care, i’ve decided to change my skincare routine a little bit for the first time in years. Now, twice a week ill mix some of the Revolution Vitamin C Serium in with my Simple Light Moisturiser, and apply it all over my face. I’ve found that since coming off the pill my skin has really struggled, so this serum has helped the texture and brightness of my skin improve so much! You can buy it here for £8. https://www.revolutionbeauty.com/uk/en/skin/serums-and-oils/revolution-skincare-3pct-vitamin-c-serum/1137461.html

• Finally, I have been loving the Revolution X Skincare, Jake Jamie Strawberry Donut Face mask. Firstly, this smells just like real strawberry donuts, its heavenly! Secondly, it comes in a little glass pot which makes it feel so much more expensive and luxurious. This has easily become my go-to for pamper evenings. I just rub on a small, even amount of this all over my face with my fingers and wait for 15 minutes, before washing it off with a hot cloth. It always leaves my skin feeling so soft and glowy, so makes the perfect pick-me-up after a tough week. You can buy it here for £8. https://www.revolutionbeauty.com/uk/en/skin/face-masks/revolution-skincare-x-jake-jamie-strawberry-donut-face-mask/1183185.html

Thats all guys, what have you been loving this month? Let me know in the comments below.

Take care,

~ Emma x

Honest Soph X Revolution Review

Hi guys!

Okay okay, so I admit I may be a little bit late to the party on this one. As you may or may not know, I did a review on the Soph X Revolution highlighter palette a few years ago ( Here’s the link if you haven’t seen it https://littleharto.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/review-on-the-soph-x-makeup-revolution-highlighter-palette/ ) But since then, i’ve spent a lot of time umming and arring over her eye shadow palette. However, I finally caved and brought it, and have given it a fair go so I could write a review for you all! Lets get started.

Firstly, I love the packaging. The pallet comes with a matte creamy casing, and a big mirror on the inside, not only is it handy, but it also looks quite aesthetically pleasing. However, the packaging does tend to look quite grubby fairly quickly. I’m not too bothered by that, but it may be something to think about if it does bother you.

Onto the actual eyeshadow. The pallete contains 14 matte and 10 shimmer shades. They range in lots of different colours, from your every day nudes, to bright colours, to metalic shimmers. There really is something for everyone, which can be ideal if youre just starting out with makeup and aren’t sure what your preferences are yet.

Let’s talk about the mattes. They are incredible! They are so pigmented and blend so easily – they very much remind me of high quality mattes such as the urban decay shadows. Buttery and easy to work with, but can also be build-able if you use a careful, light hand. My Favourite mattes are Rosewood, Iced Coffee, Tiramisu, and Cuppa Tea.

However, i’m kind of sad to say that I don’t really love the shimmers as much. Some of the colours, such as Smokey Bronze and Copper Coin are stunning, but others don’t work for me. I find the pinky shimmer really crumbly, and I struggle to work with lighter shades like Grow Old and Fairy Lights. It’s almost like i’m trying to get the shimmer to come off onto my finger and onto my eyelid, but it just doesn’t want to come out of the pan. Therefore, although there are some stunning shimmers, they’re not too consistent.

Here’s some swatches.

My final thoughts, are that this pallet is still a good quality for £10. I would personally buy this pallet for the mattes alone, and some of the shimmers are stunning with very little fall out. What do you guys think of this pallete? Let me know in the comments below!

Take care,

~ Emma x

Youtubers you should be watching #2

Hi guys. So over the years i’ve watched a lot of youtuber. However, times have changed a little and as i’ve grown, my so has my taste in youtubers. My last ” youtubers you should be watching” post is a few years old now, so I thought i’d give you a more up to date version of what i’ve been enjoying. Lets get started.

Sophie & Dave.  These youtuber’s are a young couple, who have been vlogging their everyday lives for  couple of years now. Not only do I like their channel because I like to be a bit nosy and see what others do with their day ( but don’t we all?), but they’re both really down to earth and light hearted. If you’ve had a rubbish day, their vlogs are sure to cheer you up!

Melanie Murphy. Melanie is someone who appeared in my last post just over 4 years ago. I guess that really shows how long i’ve been watching her channel! I still love her videos, I truly feel her channel and content has grown and matured with me over the years. She focuses her videos around food, lifestyle, beauty and just pure honesty. No fancy gimmics or clickbate, shes just here to be her most authentic, honest self in the hopes it leaves a positive impact. I can say for an absolute fact that its definitely done that for me. She’s inspired me and changed my mindset for the better, regarding food, relationships and body image and mental health during some of my most difficult years. She’s truly been a rock throughout difficult times over the years, which sounds so silly to say but its true. This is the one and only youtuber who I feel truly connected to, despite the fact weve never actually met in person and only interact on twitter sometimes. I hope I can meet her one day and tell her all of this, but until then i’ll just be leaving this here…

Allie Gilnes. This is a beauty youtuber, who does lots of stunning, glamorous makeup tutorials with a range of products. She creates a lot of glamourous looks, however they can be quite wearable and appropriate for day time, as well as easy to follow! For this reason, she’s definitely worth a watch if youre new and only just starting out with makeup.

Natacha Ocean. If youre looking to get fit, then this is the youtuber for you! Natacha really does not mess around, she films lots of HIIT workouts that are sure to get your heart pumping and legs aching within seconds. However, although her workouts are super tough they can get easier with practice and will leave you with incredible results. The best part is, she knows all the science and works with experts when she researches how workouts and moves can impact us, so she really does know what she’s doing, can back it up, and shows she’s got all of our best interests at heart. A true inspiration for those looking for tougher, effective workouts.

That’s all guys, what youtubers have you been enjoying lately? Let me know in the comments bellow.

Take care,

~ Emma x

My bare minumum makeup routine

Hi guys! So today I thought i’d try and make a bit of a different post today. As you know, I love doing makeup posts, but have never done a full face tutorial before. It was really fun to make, I hope you like it! Let’s get started.

First, I applied a clear, pore covering primer to ensure my makeup lasts all day.

I then went straight in with my collection lasting perfection concealer in the shade Fair, and put a small amount on my T-Zone, under my eyelids, on my chin, and any other blemishes I may have. I blended this in with a buffing brush.

I decided to skip foundation completely, as i’ve gone off it at the moment. After not wearing any for a few months, I now notice it feels like its too much despite only putting a little on to start with. I may return back to it one day, but right now i’m enjoying skipping this step.

Next, I set it with the Rimmel Stay Matte setting powder in the shade Translucent, with a big fluffy brush.

Taking an angled, fluffy brush, I applied some of the MUA bronzer to my forehead, cheeks, jawline and neck to bring back some colour. I then used a blush brush, and blended a small amount of a peachy blush (bottom row, 2nd shade) into the apples of my cheeks. This brought some colour back into my face, stopping me from looking ill.

I then took a small angled brush, and took the shade Brazen from the I ♡ Revolution Chocolate Nudes palette. I gently dipped it in and lightly ran it through my brows, just covering any small gaps and thinner patches.

Using the same Palette, I took the shade Skimpy on a fluffy brush and ran it all over the eyelid, as a base colour. Next, I used the shade After Dark and ran it all over my lid and crease, with the same brush, making sure to blend out the edges.

Finally, I added the Soap and Glory Thick and Fast mascara to my top and bottom lashes. I finished the look by applying the Revolution Soph lipstick on the shade Cake – and applied some setting spray to keep my makeup in place.

Here’s the finished look.

That’s all guys, I hope you enjoyed this look! What products have you been enjoying this spring?

– Emma x

Pink-Plum eyeshadow look – Naked Cherry

Hi guys, so today I thought I’d try something a little bit different. Seeing as were in lock down, I thought what better time to play with more daring eye-shadows that I may have been to scared to explore previously. Today i’ve been exploring with the deeper, more purple shades from the Naked Cherry Palette. I’m both surprised and happy with how much I liked this look, so I really hope you guys like it too.  Lets get started.

1. Firstly, I took the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in the shade Fair, and put it all over my eyelid, right up to the brow bone. I also put some underneath my eye to cover my dark circles, before blending it in. However, if you don’t have this concealer that’s okay, you can use any that you may have at hand.

       2. Next, I took the shade ‘Hot Spot’ and dusted that all over where I just put the concealer to set it.  I then took some sticky tape and stuck it down in the corner of my eyes, going up to the ends of my eyebrows – this will be important later on. However, remember to stick it on and peel it off the back of your hand first, to remove some of the stickiness first. This will prevent it tugging at your eye.

         3.  Using the crease brush included in the palette, I took the shade ‘Caution’ and blended it into my crease, to use as a transition colour. I then went over this shade with the colours ‘bang bang’ and ‘feelz.’ remembering to take my time to blend. Taking the time to blend each layer really does help the end outcome.

          4 Next, I took the shades ‘Bing’ and ‘Devilish’ on the crease, and outer corners but slightly below the colours we just applied. Don’t worry if this looks a little messy now, this is what the tape is for! So long as its blended, your all good.

         5.   Our last matte shade for this look is ”Privacy.” Take a teeny, tiny dab ( be careful, its super pigmented) and put this in your inner corner, blending it well. Once this is finished, you can take the shade ” Caution” and ever so lightly blend the edges of the crease so it all blends in beautifully.

         6. Now, taking the shade ”Young love” apply this onto the lid with your ring finger. I personally like the effect, but if you want it more intense you can pic up the shadow then apply setting spray to your finger, before patting it into the eyelid.

          7. This part is where the tape comes in. Get your favourite black eyeliner ( I used the Super Cat Eyeliner by Soap and Glory.) and draw a thin line on your lash line, starting from the middle. Then, you decide where the tip of your wing will be (on the tape) and draw a line down to the centre of your eyelid, so the two lines match up. Fill in the wing and draw your thin line closer to the inner corner of your eye. ( If youre still unsure, feel free to use my picture as a visual aid. However, you can always do your own wing without tape if you like – This is just my own personal preference.)

            8. Finally, peal away the tape slowly and carefully. You should  finish with a neat, sharp line where the eyeliner and eye shadow have ended. To finish, take the shades ” feels” and ”juicy” and apply them close to your bottom lashes, and apply black mascara. I used the Maybelline Bambi Eyes Mascara for this.

Here’s my finished look   

That’s all guys, I hope you enjoyed it! This style of blog post is new-ish to me still, but I thoroughly enjoyed making it so would love to make more posts like this in the future.  If you try this tutorial, id love to hear how you got on!

-Emma x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personal update… do I stop being an anonymous blog?

Hi guys,

As you know, this blog has been anonymous for 4 years. I call myself ‘little harto’ as I was very much inspired by Hannah Hart a few years ago  – and was also too scared to show my real self as I was scared of people in my real life finding this and bullying me for it.

However, I have now come to a time where I want to expand this. Although theres lots of comfort in being anonymous, I want to show full makeup looks like everyone else as I feel very restricted right now. But most importantly, I want to see how this grows if I start showing my true, authentic self rather than hiding behind ‘little harto.’  I am 22 now. I am out of college, and I am a grown adult who has a lot more confidence than I did at 17/18 years of age. I want to be more free and see where this takes me. I think im ready for that adventure.

I really hope I will have your support through this, as this is a big step for me. You guys have made me feel so validated and good about my content, so I hope this change is something you can all accept.

Thank you guys, see you soon x

 

-littleharto x

 

 

My Revolution Chocolate Bar Palettes.

Hi guys. So lately, ive realised that Ive really come to love the Revolution chocolate bar palletes. Although I still want more, I love my little collection so thought id share it with you. So, lets get into it.Naked Chocolate Palette – This was one of my oldest chocolate bar palettes, that I still use and love. Unlike the other 2 palettes, its got more cool toned neutrals and golds – which make it perfect for when im pailer on colder months. However, this has the old formula (It was one of the first 3 chocolate bars to be released) so its not quite as nice as my newer palettes formula as the shimmers dont seem as smooth. However, it still a good palette for the price!

– Chocolate Elixer Palette – Firstly, lets just point out the elephant in the room with this palette. Its an obvious dupe for the ABH Modern Rennesance palette. Im not mad at it though. These colours are stunning and can be used for both an easy day time look and a bold night time look. They also blend like a dream as they have the new (ish) formula. So if you want the abh palette but dont want to pay so much for it, this could be a good option for you.Naked chocolate – Finally, onto my favourite of the bunch. This palette is full of warm tones ,(Im a bit obsessesed with orangey-browns a the minute), with a few shimmers. This is just full of tones I gravitate towards the most.Again, it blends really nicelly. However, realistically speaking, it hasnt got many darker shades. So although it works for me, it may not work for someone with a darker skin tone.Thats all guys. Do you have any chocolate bar palettes? If so, which ones?-littleharto ♡

My Top 3 Jeffree Star Liquid Lipsticks

Hi guys. So, normally I’m not a huge fan of liquid lipsticks. I just never seem to get on with them due to their formulas… until now. Jeffrees Liquid Lipsticks, are in my opinion, a game changer. Now I refuse to buy them from any other brand, and just save up for Jeffrees as I’ve well and truly fallen in love. So, here are my top 3 and why I love them.

Mannequin – Mannequin is such a pretty, natural peachy colour. Its perfect for everyday wear, and can be used to create such a fresh spring/summer makeup look. Much like all of Jeffree’s liquid lip products, its very long lasting, pigmented and although its a little drying, its not dried out my lips as much as other brands – so im not mad at it. In my opinion, its perfect for people who are a bit afraid of bold lip colours, but want a little something.

Gemini – This is such a stunning pink shade, again perfect for Spring/summer time. It can be used for both day and night looks and truthfully, I feel so confident and good about myself when I wear it. (You know how red lips make some girls feel? This gives me that feeling.) Agaim, the formula is the same as Mannequin.

Unicorn Blood – Finally, this lipstick is perfect for autumn, winter, and nights out. Its a deep burgundy colour. Although this colour is lovely, like most red toned lipsticks, you’d need to use a lipliner before applying this – or else it can get a little messy. However, once its on and dry it doesn’t budge, much like the others.

Thats all guys, what do you think about them? Do you own any? x

-littleharto ♡