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youtuber Archives - Megan Taylor

Top 5 Summer Beauty Must Haves

Sun Sea Sand … a few of my favourite words in the summer months. Your skin is also another very important word during the summer. With the increase in sun exposure we need to look after our skin with lots of high SPF products even when we want a glowing tan. Having just been on holiday I thought I would share with you my Top 5 Summer Beauty Must Haves. I have linked where you can buy the products from and a You Tube video below that I filmed to tell you a little more about each product.

Kiko Lip Balm
I have raved about this product in a past post about how to stay safe in the sun. This product is great as it is a tinted lip balm with an SPF of 15. It is great for make up free days at the beach.

Rimmel Foundation
The mousse style foundation has a lovely creamy texture which is lovely to apply. I would say that as it is quite thick it is best to buff it in with a make up brush. I have been using the Real Techniques foundation brush.

NYX Lipstick (Honey Nectar)
This NYX lipstick crayon in Honey Nectar is creamy and non drying. I have been using it non stop for about 4 months now and it doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of running out. I am pretty sure this will last me forever. I think I am going to have to buy lots of other colours as well.

Eyeko Eyeshadow Stick (Topaz)
I have raved about this Eyeko eyeshadow stick on numerous occasions and I have to tell you once again how fabulous it is. I used it as my only eyeshadow while I was on holiday and there was no need for a make up brush and no need to blend, simply use it like a crayon on your eyelids. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Eyeko Waterproof Mascara
This mascara comes in a sort of squeezy tube which makes it a great travelling companion. I love the way it separates my lashes so well and is waterproof.

Summer Beauty Must Haves | Megan Taylor

 

Are there any summer beauty must haves that you always use?

My Latest Make Up Obsessions

I am having a bit of a love affair with make up lately and have recently stocked up on plenty of new goodies so expect a lot more make up obsessions to be coming soon to my blog. The pieces I have selected to show you today are from Too Faced, KIKO and Make Up Forever. I hope you enjoy my latest make up obsessions.

My Current Make Up ObsessionsKIKO eyeshadow brush
I love KIKO. Everything they sell is affordable so you can try out new products without breaking the bank. This make up brush has been perfect for a bit of precision eye shadow blending.

Make Up Forever eyeshadow brush
This brush is a little chunkier than the KIKO brush which makes it great for an easy application of a large expanse of eye shadow.

My Current Make Up ObsessionsMake Up Forever Eyeshadow – Platinum
This eye shadow is absolutely beautiful, it is like a zillion stars clustered together into a little pot. With just a small brush of this on your eyelids when you are on holiday you will be all set to go for your evening ahead.

My Current Make Up ObsessionsToo Faced Smokey Eye Palette
I have been a lover of Too Faced for a while now. Their packaging is always very enticing. This Too Faced palette is wonderful. All of the colours are wearable with no eyeshadows that are too “out there”. I normally find that with an eye shadow palette there are colours that I never use but that is not the case with this one. ‘Firefly’ and ‘Cloves’ are my favourite colours to use for a day look and then build it up with the darker colours and the silver ‘In A Flash’.

What make up have you been loving lately?

Blogosphere Magazine Event – Goodie Bag Reveal

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to Blogosphere’s cover reveal party for issue 9 and I had a wonderful time. In a little hidden away spot in Soho we entered into a long winding location full of rooms with different entertainment. The goodie bag was rather epic so I have filmed a video showing you everything that was in it.
Blogosphere Magazine Event - Goodie Bag Reveal
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What Was In The Goodie Bag

Blogosphere Magzine
Yes To Facial Wipes
The London Tea Company – Pure Camomile
Snact
Lee Stafford – Coco Loco Genius Lotion
Aeos – Refreshing Hydrating Mist
Inika – Ultimate Lip Balm
UBU – Foundation Brush
Evolve – Satin Leg Gloss
You Beauty Box

Blogosphere Magazine Event - Goodie Bag Reveal

☆☆☆

 

May 2016 Favourites

I know I have already blogged today but having been away for a few days I forgot to put up a blog post alongside my YouTube video that went up on Sunday evening to share all the links for you to the latest things that I have been loving.
It is that time of the month again when another month has just left us…can you believe we our in the sixth chapter of our year! This month I have been loving a few things beauty and a random electronic sketching pad…It is really great. As always I have filmed a video alongside this blog to help tell you a little more and show you the products up close. The link is at the bottom of this page.

Olympus Pen Camera
I have discussed my love for this camera in a few other blog posts including a YouTube video where I unboxed it. Apart from the fact this camera is divine to look at and very photographable itself, it is really quite wonderful. I love how it is so quick and easy to take shots, it is light to carry around. The best feature is that you can quickly transfer photos between your camera and phone for editing and sharing on social media.

Wacom Digital Pad
This is a rather random favourite and a fairly recent purchase. It looks much like an iPad but you hook it up to your laptop and use it as a sketch pad. It is so wonderful. I haven’t yet had enough time to perfect my skills on it but I am so excited to start sketching and annotating my blog photos…watch this space.

Lauren Conrad – Celebrate
I am loving this Pinterest worthy book by Hill’s alumna Lauren Conrad. It is full of beautiful and inspiring pictures that make you want to host many many tea parties.

Lancome Doll Eyes Waterproof Mascara
I reviewed this mascara for my mascara testing article that I wrote for the Daily Mail and it was wonderful. I have been using it a lot lately because it lengthens my lashes really well. I speak more about the waterproof mascaras that I tested in this YouTube video.

Bobbi Brown Waterproof Mascara Remover
After reviewing the waterproof mascaras Bobbi Brown kindly sent me this waterproof mascara make up remover and I have already fallen in love with it. Last week I filmed a TV commercial where I had an insane amount of glitter on my eyes and this mascara took it all off with ease and no red rash was left over.

Chloe Perfume
I have loved this perfume for years and years and always will. I would say this is my signature scent. A fresh fruity summer scent that I am often complimented on.

Lucas Embelished Jeans
These are my current favourite jeans that jazz up my casual outfit days. I actually wore them to a couple of auditions lately and they were such a great conversation starter that I became more confident and booked the jobs…these jeans have definitely paid for themselves now.


High Street Beauty Haul | Kiko · Nyx · Clarins

It has been a while since I have treated myself to some new make up treats. In fact I think the last time I bought this much make up was for my wedding and honeymoon in 2014. A few weeks ago in Brighton I stumbled passed the KIKO shop and couldn’t help myself. If it wasn’t for Liam looking a bit bored I think I would have spent far money and far more time in this shop. I also ventured over to the biggest Boots store I have ever been too with so much make up on offer. There was a NYX counter which has had a lot of buzz around the beauty blogging / You Tubing commuting lately and I was very excited to finally get my hands on some. I have filmed an in depth video on the products I picked up at Kiko, Nyx and Clarins which is linked at the bottom of the page. I have also linked where to buy all the products in this blog post.


NYX eyeshadow palette (Golden horizons)
NYX lipstick (720 Honey Nectar)
NYX concealer palette (Light)


CLARINS gel cleanser
CLARINS body lotion
CLARINS bath & shower concentrate
CLARINS exfoliating body scrub

 · SHOP CLARINS ·



KIKO lipstick (918 Classic Rose)
KIKO lipstick (902 Pastel Pink)
KIKO eyeshadow (03 Satin Peach)
KIKO eyeliner (16 Black)
KIKO waterproof liquid eyeliner

· SHOP NYX ·

NYX eyeshadow palette (Golden horizons)
NYX lipstick (720 Honey Nectar)
NYX concealer palette (Light)

KIKO lipstick (918 Classic Rose)
KIKO lipstick (902 Pastel Pink)
KIKO eyeshadow (03 Satin Peach)
KIKO eyeliner (16 Black)
KIKO waterproof liquid eyeliner

CLARINS gel cleanser
CLARINS body lotion
CLARINS bath & shower concentrate
CLARINS exfoliating body scrub

High Street Fashion Haul SS16

I have been shopping quite a lot lately so I thought I would compile all of my purchases into one blog/vlog post. I have added all my clothes from Zara, Topshop, Bandy Melville, Next and Dorothy Perkins. All of the outfits are perfect for this weird inbetween-y weather we are experiencing in the UK. Literally one day it is 30° and the next 5° and raining…argh…what to wear?? I actually think the shoes choices is the most difficult. I have shared all the links to where my clothes are from below. The video link is at the bottom. I hope you enjoy it xx

Zara
Blue Striped Off Shoulder Dress
Oversized Light Blue Shirt
Tropical printed Dress


Topshop
Black Printed Dress
Patch Embellished Lucas Jeans


Brandy Melville
New York Tshirt
White Knit Jumper


Next

Straw Hat


Dorothy Perkins

Palm Springs Tshirt

WILD GEESE PHOTOSHOOT

This week I was lucky enough to be booked on a photo shoot for a new loungewear brand called Wild Geese. The shoot was a mixture of e commerce and lifestyle images for the campaign and website. We shot in a beautiful loft type studio in Kennington called Studio Boardroom which rumour has it is the location for a big budget movie being filmed there soon. We started the day off sharing our life stories whilst munching on croissants, yoghurt, fruit and drinking cups of tea whilst the studio was being set up. I then moved into the make up chair for a natural dewy make up look. (The make up brands we used are in the ‘Shop The Blog’ link at the bottom of the page).
After my hour of beautifying, it was time to shoot the collection. We started with the lifestyle images set in a kitchen with croissants, magazines and coffee. We then moved onto a set up with a gorgeous free standing bath complete with ornate white feet. One day I want this bath in my house. We then shot the whole collection for the e commerce shop. This involved shooting every garment front, side and back. Some e commerce shoots require you to stand still in a really stiff position which can be quite boring for both the model and the clients looking at the pictures. For Wild Geese I got to pose a little bit, helping the clothes come to life and hopefully make people want to buy the clothes even more ☺.
At 4pm the big six nations rugby game began so we put the England V Wales game on on the iPad to have in the background. Whilst the last shot was being set up in a glamorous Great Gatsby style, the gorgeous client then opened a bottle of fizz to perk us all up after a long day of shooting. The last shot was more seductive than the “girl next door” theme of the day. I think I pulled it off but I am in general much more confident playing around being smiley.
At 6pm we wrapped the shoot, packed up and went our separate ways back home to put our feet up. It was so lovely working with such a nice chilled team and being the clients first collection was very exciting. The owner Lauren even wrote on Wild Geese’s Instagram, “What a great day! Thank you so much @itsmegantaylor Wild Geese looks exactly how I hoped it would. X” (It is always lovely to have feedback from a client). The clothes were all gorgeous and I definitely want every item that I wore. My favourite was the silky cotton Santorini PJ bottoms. Make sure you keep an eye out for them once they launch in April. In the mean time follow them on Instagram @wildgeeselondon

Below is a mini behind the scenes video of our shoot.

Whole Foods Haul

I have a great love for Whole Foods. I think my love of Whole Foods began on a trip I took to New York when I was younger. We stayed in an apartment in Union Square right by a Whole Foods where we would go food shopping most days. Every Whole Foods in London has exactly the same smell when you walk in through the door as the store in New York. The scent as soon as I walk in hits me with memories of New York and for that half an hour that I spend shopping I am in a dream world of thinking that I am actually living in New York. The food is all a bit different from what we have in our normal supermarkets in the UK. You can make your own peanut butter, buy big scoops of seeds and grains. The only downside is the food is quite expensive. As a treat once in a while I pop into Whole Foods in London to stock up on some lovely treats which are actually mostly very healthy.
One cocktail infused afternoon, in a drunken stupor Liam and I headed into Whole Foods to spend a small fortune. We bought some raw chocolates, mounds of seeds and a lot of coconut flakes. Below is a link to my video haul where I talk about some of the products that we bought.

Items Mentioned

Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Hemp Protein Powder 
Pumpkin Seeds 
Coconut Flakes 
Ombar 90%
Conscious Chocolate ‘Wild At Heart’ 

Conscious Mint Hint 
Booja Booja Ice Cream
The Raw Chocolate Company Mulberry 

Olympus Pen E-PL7 Unboxing

The Olympus Pen seems to be dominating every bloggers Instagram feed. It is a beautiful digital camera that is small and compact. It looks old fashioned but is a modern touch screen camera with the ability to record video.

My husband surprised me by buying me the newest white E-PL7 camera. I am loving using it. It is so light that I can carry it around with me wherever I go. I have recently got in to the habit of just using my iPhone for photos because it is so easy to use it, considering it is always in my hand. Yet, with the Pen you can take far superior pictures using different lenses and then send it directly from your camera to your phone.

Below I have filmed my unboxing video so you can have a closer look at what you get with the Olympus Pen.

Where To Buy The Olympus Pen E-PL7
John Lewis
Jessops

What I Am Wearing
Victoria Beckham
Urban Outiftters

1920s Gatsby Inspired Nails

I went to a 1920s Great Gatsby themed New Years Eve party.
I wanted to make my nails look themed but not tacky.
Here is a very simple and wearable 1920s Great Gatsby Inspired Nail Art.
Click on the video at the bottom of the page for a quick and easy tutorial.

WHAT I USED
Base Coat (126)
Gold Stripe
Top Coat (Crystal Clear)

 

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Brandy Laced Chocolate Walnuts

I have bought chocolate covered walnuts before.
The shop bought ones are incredibly addictive but they cost an absolute fortune.
I feel I have conquered a very similar recipe and made them taste identical to the shop bought ones.
My mum even happened to mention that mine taste even better.
Give them a try yourself. They make a perfect homemade Christmas gift.
{You Tube video at the bottom of the page}

Ingredients
Milk (dash)
Brown Sugar (two heaped wooden spoons)
Butter (tablespoon)
Dark Chocolate (x2 bars)
Cacao Powder
Walnuts

Method
1. Make the toffee sauce by mixing the butter and sugar together.
2. Adding a dash of milk allow the ingredients to mix together and bubble and boil for a couple of minutes.
3. Pour in the bag of walnuts, mix up and allow to set during the next step.
4. Melt the chocolate in a pan.
5. Mix the toffee-d walnuts into the melted chocolate along with a glug of brandy.
6. Line your baking trays with baking paper.
7. Dust the baking paper with cacao powder.
8. Separate the walnuts on to the trays.
9. Pour more cacao powder over the walnuts.
10. It is a bit fiddly but roll the walnuts around to fully cover them in cacao.
11. Leave them in a cool room for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set slowly.


{Little chocolate walnut rocks}


{The chocolate finds its way into all the holes}

{Perfect homemade Christmas gift}

{You Tube video}

Festive Nails {How To Video}

The Christmas party season can be rather chaotic. Your nails are probably the last thing on your mind.
This ‘how to’ video shows you how to give your nails a festive make over in a couple of minutes.

You Will Need
Clear nail varnish
Natural coloured nail varnish
Sparkly nail varnish
Foundation sponge

1. Paint your nails with a natural coloured basecoat

2. Put a thick layer of sparkly nail varnish on your foundation sponge

3. Roughly dab the painted sponge on the tips of your nails

4. Finish with a clear top coat

Halloween Hair & Make Up Tutorial

My second dose of Halloween blog-ness in two days…goodness.
This post comes in the form of a You Tube video-well it is Sunday.

Make sure you subscribe to my You Tube channel and let me know what videos you would like to see in the future.

Hope you enjoy my tutorial and let me know if you create this look at home by tagging me on Instagram @itsmegantaylor

Autumnal Granola Recipe

The nights are getting darker, the wind so much chillier and the autumn leaves are falling at a rapid speed. I personally love this time of year. We can layer up our clothes, put the fire on and have an excuse to hibernate at home with a great movie, hot water bottle and a cup of hot chocolate. That’s not to mention the great anticipation of the festive Christmas period.
The only downside to the chillier season is pushing myself out of the door in the morning. I have to eat breakfast before going to work otherwise my tummy rumbles like a mini earthquake. When I am cold I tend to crave a warm croissant or a fried egg sandwich sssh. I have come up with this granola recipe which is low in GI, super healthy and can be eaten warm or cold. Shop bought cereals, granola’s and muesli’s are full of unnatural sugars and ingredients that you would never find in your kitchen cupboards. My granola recipe is full of seeds and nuts and the only sugars are date syrup and honey…very natural and wonderfully sweet for that yummy sugar hit in the healthiest way possible. The great thing about this recipe is you can just use anything you have in your cupboard you don’t have to follow the recipe meticulously. You don’t need to go out shopping for any expensive ingredients…have fun experimenting.

DSC_1364

Don’t forget to tag me in photos of your granola if you make it. @itsmegantaylor
Here is how to make my autumnal granola recipe.

Time

Prep: 5 minutes

Cooking: 10 minutes

What you will need

Syrup:

1 tablespoon Coconut oil

1.5 tablespoon Date syrup

1 tablespoon Honey

Granola bulk:

1/4 cup Mixed seeds

{I used: flaxseeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds}

3/4 cup Mixed nuts

{I used: haselnuts, Brazil nuts, walnuts. If you want a mix of nuts but don’t fancy spending a fortune on bags of nuts, Waitrose do a great mixed nuts bag so you can get a good variety in your granola}

1 cup Jumbo oats

1 cup Coconut flakes

1 cup Quinoa pops

3/4 cup Raisins

2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°

2. Blend your mixed nuts in a blender until lightly mixed. Do not let them go to dust…unless you are aiming for more of a muesli texture.

3. Throw all dry ingredients into a baking tray (nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, quinoa pops, oats, raisins).

4. Melt the coconut oil, date syrup, honey and cinnamon in a pan on a low heat until mixed together.

5. Pour the syrup over the dry ingredients and mix together.

6. Place in the oven for ten minutes, mixing up the ingredients every few minutes.

7. Leave to stand until cool before storing to prevent the ingredients going soggy.
Enjoy with yoghurt, milk or even by itself as a healthy snack.