Intense Blue Eyes

 Are you in a makeup rut? Or just bored of your everyday brown/ black eye shadow shades, how about trying Blue eye shadow seen at LFW on the Topshop models! I know what you are thinking has she lost the plot, but seriously this look is fun and actually looks really alluring!! Although my brother did say I looked like I had been punched in the face, I will ignore his comments and continue to think I look pretty cool rocking my blue eyes!! You can either create a subtle blue eye by simply dotting the blue into the corner of the eyes or go wild and wash the shade all over your lids! This looks amazing on blue eyes as it really highlights your eye colour, check out pictures of Cara Delevigne at the Topshop show to highlight my point!

For a colourful eye shadow I headed straight to the Illamasqua counter at Selfridges and picked up this little beauty, a powder eye shadow called intense, definitely suits its name. This colour is a rich matte teal blue without any sparkle and glitter, which is great for me as I'm not really a fan of glitter in eyeshdow unless it a metallic shade and even then I don't want to see any glitter, instead I'm looking for strong pigment and shimmer.

If you have green or blue eyes, you should try blue eye shadow, don't however make the mistake of buying a high street one which doesn't have a strong pigment. The idea for this look isn't to make it look natural, it needs to be strong and heavy in my opinion and this will really make your eye colour pop!

Do you rock the blue eye shadow?
Whats your favourite colour to wear on your eyes?
Let me know if you have any questions about this look or the product in the comments below!

What's in my makeup bag this week....

-Giorgio Armani, Maestro Fusion Foundation

I've been testing this foundation for the last couple of weeks; In fact see the blog post below to find a full review of this product.  This foundation is perfect for Oily skin and those who prefer a lighter buildable coverage making it ideal for a daytime look.

-Illamasqua- Neutral Palette

Again you can find a full review of this product if you scroll down through my blog posts. Ideal for taking around in my make-up bag as it has everything you need, a deep brown, matte black, shimmery gold and an off white base in one small case (it rhymes!) which pops easily into any make-up case! Great if you plan on taking your day look into an evening look but don’t have time to go home and alter, pop this into your make-up bag, It has all the colours for updating your look.

-Kevyn Aucoin- Eyebrow pencil

I am somewhat of a brow girl, meaning I am constantly trying to achieve a stronger brow than the one that I’ve been blessed with this eyebrow pencil is ideal for an everyday use and is super easy to use, creating eyebrows that look natural (like my eyebrow idol Delevigne.)

-Kevyn Aucoin- Eyeliner in Basic Black

Since Charlotte Tilbury has realised her make-up collection I've become slightly obsessed with her dramatic black kohl lined eyes. This Eyeliner in Basic Black is incredible, so creamy and easy to blend/smudge but then sets and lasts all day long! Creates a very intense look, but could be just used to line the top eyelash line.

-Kevyn Acuoin- Eyelash Curler

Eyelash Curlers are an essential of mine!! I use them every morning just to help open my eyes and to give the effect of larger wider eyes.

-Prada- Makeup bag

This make-up bag was in fact a freebie!! Can you believe it!! I obtained it when I bought Prada’s fragrance Candy probably about a year ago now and have used it ever since! However if you can recommend a small fun make-up bag let me know in a comment below.

-Mac, Lipstick in Please me

I have been using this lipstick as my everyday lipstick for the last week and adore the creamy texture it creates along with being a great shade for my colourings.

-Mac, Dazzleglass

Too create the effect of bigger lips I use Dazzleglass by mac and simply dot it in the centre of my lips this gives the illusion of larger juicy lips. I recommend this lip gloss as it is a beautiful natural looking pink perfect for the day.

-Paris Ax- Fan Brush

Recently did a review on this makeup brush, I find it great for applying powder and blush which I often need to top up during the day.

-Bobbi Brown- Blush in Apricot

This blusher creates a really healthy looking glow, I've had really bad PMS face lately, (sunken, grey, swollen, spotty looking face) and after reading Lisa Eldridges blog post on ‘PMS FACE’  I realised that an apricot blush like my Bobbi brown one can really help make me look alive again.

Review- Giorgio Armani, Maestro Fusion Foundation

Before you start criticizing me I apologise in advance for the fact that I've only just discovered this foundation! yes I have been incredibly slow, and yes you probably have read a review on this product thousands of times, but if you are the select few and have somehow managed to bypass Giorgio Armani's Maestro Fusion Foundation then I am writing this review for you!!

I was Persuaded to buy this foundation by Elle's September issue in which they named it best foundation (must be good) at reading this I thought I best see what all the hype is about. This foundation is very  bizarre, this isn't a bad thing per say just an observation. Describing the texture and feel when applied on the skin is difficult all I can really say is that it begins as a consistency of a really thin oil and then once on skin its seemed to disappear leaving your skin looking as if you are hardly wearing any makeup in fact it is almost detectable to the naked eye. It doesn't offer a huge amount of coverage but is certainly more than a tinted mosturiser. If you have relatively good skin and want a hardly-there look but relay on a foundation to wake up your skin and make you look healthy then this is the foundation for you, especially if you have normal-oily skin (dryer skin be cautious of this foundation.) My boyfriend is very quick to pick out girls that are caked in too much foundation, so I now fear the dreaded cake look making this product  perfect for me, in fact he actually applauded me for not wearing any foundation and looking great even though I was wearing The Maestro Fusion Foundation (what he doesn't know wont kill him.)  It's a build-able foundation which means you can follow my approach and apply one thin coat to the entire face but then another layer to the t-zone to give more coverage when you need it!

The application isn't exactly mess free, but it does help control how much you need, without the too much with two pumps, two little with one pump dilemma. One thing I would say is that be careful wearing this foundation if you have dry skin and I recommend a hydrating moisturizer and serum prior to application. It's not that it drys the skin out,  It just seems to stick to any dry patches creating a flaky appearance, (not hot.)  This Foundation manages my oily t-zone extremely well and doesn't cause me to break out (yay) and stays put all day long (with the help of powder.) 

Although I admire this foundation for creating a undetectable look whilst still giving the right amount of coverage, I will not be re-purchasing it anytime soon. Firstly because this pot Is going to last my ages and secondly because as the nights are getting darker I can feel the dreaded cold winter days approaching, meaning only one thing for me, dry skin!! :( Sadly this foundation does not seem to be able to handle any dryness on the face so I will be looking for a more hydrating foundation, perhaps I will pick this back up in the summer months.

I'm shade 6, I wouldn't recommend buying online as it is hard to guess your shade, go into a department store such as Selfridges and be colour matched. 

Let me know if you Love or hate this product?
Are you being loyal and sticking to it over winter?
Or just if you have any questions, please comment below :)

That why the lady she's a Vamp!

When wearing makeup I try and stick to either intense eyes or an intense lip, not because I oppose to wearing both together, I just believe if you concentrate on one area such as the lip its a stronger look, plus it wears well in the day.
Saying that this look that I created has both a deep eye and lip and I have to say it creates a wow effect!!  My aim for this look was to make the perfect lip shade, (yes I concocted it myself) I wanted a really deep wine shade and whilst I have loads of striking pillar box red lipsticks, I have yet to find my perfect DEEP RED. Soo... I decided to mix and mix I did, Using Giorgio Armani lipstick in shade Rouge D'Armani as my base colour, I  then added  Bourgois  Queen Attitude eyeliner stick to darken the shade (I've named my shade Vamp). I know what you are thinking, eyeliner as lipstick, shes lost the plot!! Fear not, I'm not totally bonkers, I've used this trick for ages now, I think using beauty products in different ways is fun and follows my ethos, when it comes to makeup- Play around!! I wouldn't however recommend mixing your lipstick with eyeliner everyday as it probably wouldn't be very moisturizing and might make your lips dry out, but every know and then its perfectly fine to use. This trick will  also make your lipstick stay on all night long so you won't need to keep running to the toilet to touch up!

For the eyes I used my Urban Decay palette with the shades Dark horse as my base, toasted along the eye crease and hustle in the corner of the eye to darken the look. I then blended the entire pigment right to my eyebrow, before using Kevyn Aucoin eyeliner  in Basic Black all over the waterline, drawing it around the entire eye and smoking it out. I applied lashings of Kevyn Aucoin Mascara  and for the eyebrows I used benefit Brow Zing palette and filled in my brows and elongated them.

Let me know what you think of this look?
Have you ever mixed to create your perfect lipstick colour?
Or are you actually sane and can recommend any good deep wine lipsticks?
comment below :)

Mask Mondays

My skin gets covered in (warpaint) makeup all week long and although I really look after it, I still relay on this mask. It helps to remove all of the impurities and dirt that has got wedged into my pores over the week (I live in London, lots of pollution)

The Sanctuary 5 minute thermal detox mask is my go to product when my skin is looking and feeling congested! I am a sucker for any products that are thermal (become warm when applied)  as the warmth really helps open the pores allowing the ingredients of the product in this case charcoal and Kaolin clay to  draw out the impurities from deep within the skin.  Kaolin clay is specifically know for drying the skin by absorbing excess oil and increasing blood flow to the area which helps with inflammation and redness! But this mask isn't just purifying the skin it also re balances the oil levels (no stripping YAY) cleansing and clarifying the skin leaving it clean and silky soft to touch.

The product itself is fairly thick and grayish green and rather messy when applying, you only need the size of a 2 pound coin for the whole face less if you are just focusing on the t-zone. Smell wise I  wasn't blown away in fact i cant get a whiff of anything from this product which actually is a massive thumbs up as it usually means the ingredient list is simple without loads of added extras and the back of the bottle reflected that there were no unnecessary chemicals inside!

When I ask friends and family if they use masks, they often reply that they simply don't have the time in their busy lives to sit around waiting for a magic product to work wonders on their skin!! Fear not for this mask gets to works straight away and only needs to be left on for 5 minutes, come on guys everyone has 5 minutes spare to look after your skin and help make you look even more beautiful! I use this product in a very unconventional way, as i tend to have a very oily t-zone but normal-dry cheeks i only apply this mask along the t-zone and instead apply a hydrating mask such as No7 Beautiful Skin- Hydration Mask to my cheeks. This helps the contrasting skin types on my face to be in harmony with each other rather than being polar opposites.

Remember to buy products for your own personal skin type!! If you have extremely dry skin this is not the product for you!! It will leave you with dry irritated skin instead you need a hydrating mask to help your skin lock in moisture.

Directions for use

1. cleanse skin thoroughly to remove make-up (I recommend using this product after a long hot shower or bath so that your pores are already nice and open.)

2. Apply  a thin layer of The sanctuary 5 minute thermal detox mask (twice weekly) along the t-zone massaging it into the skin (or if needed apply to whole face,) If needed apply a hydrating mask onto the cheek area.

3. You will feel it warm and then cool naturally, after 5 minutes remove the mask, I use a cloth damp warm (muslin or face cloth) to remove the product before splashing with cool water to close the pores.

4. Pat dry and follow with your normal skincare regime, (make sure you don't neglect your moisturizer.)

ONLY TO BE WORN AROUND LONG TERM PARTNERS, DO NOT ALLOW NEW PARTNERS TO SEE YOU LOOKING LIKE YOU'VE BEEN SWIMMING IN POND WATER (NOT A HOT LOOK)

Comment below with your favourite Purifying masks?

What are your feeling on thermal products?

Do you have mixed skin types, oily on the t-zone and dry on the cheeks?

Makeover Mondays- Gold Eyes and Orange hue lips

 Both looks  i created are very similar with the same gold eye. With my model Hazel I used a orange hue lipstick whereas Olivia suited a darker reddish orange. Had lots of fun creating these looks read below for more information.

For my model Hazel's look I used Urban Decay Naked Palette and the colour Half baked with a wet flat sided brush (the wetness makes the pigment stronger) and firmly pressed this shade all of over the eyelid up to the crease. I then used Kevyn Acouin eyeshadow in Bronze applying it with a mac 217 brush blending into the crease. Next I used my Kevyn Acouin eyeliner applying along the upper lid and smudging out and upwards. 

I applied the fake eyelashes (models own) and coated both upper and lower lashes in Giorgio Armani-Eyes to Kill. I then continued with the face make-up using Yves Saint Laurent foundation in BR50, setting with Mac Mineralize Skin finish Powder and contouring with Bobby Brown Bronzing powder in Golden Light 1. I used Sleek lipstick palette to create a dewy blush on the top of the cheekbones with the shade Miss Me. For the brows I used Kevyn Aucoin eyebrow pencil  elongating and filling in the gaps. Lastly with a lip brush I applied the sleek lipstick palette in shade miss me, then I used Mac Minrealize skin finish in Soft and Gentle with my fan brush buffing into top of cheekbones and using my fingertips to blend it below eyebrow, into corner of eyes and into cupids bow.

 For Olivia I used the same eye makeup as I did for Hazel (see above.) For the skin I applied Yves Saint Laurent- Perfect Touch Radiant Brush Foundation then, concealed with mac mineralise concealer no20 and set with Maybelline Fit me Powder. To contour I used  bobby brown bronzing powder in golden light 1 and with Bobbi brown blusher in apricot I applied it to the apples of the cheeks using the fan brush before applying highlighter, Mac Mineralise skinfinishh in soft and gentle. For the lips I used a lip brush and covered it with Mac lipstick in Chili. 

Let me know what you think of these looks?
If you have any questions about any of the products I used let me know?

I'm a fan of the fan

 Recently been having problems with my blusher application, I've found that it seems blotchy and not as smooth as I would like. I decided to purchase a fan shaped brush mainly because my friend swears by using hers to apply her blusher. This one is from Parisax Professional, a brand who in my opinion make great brushes that are not only soft (100% goats hair)  creating a flawless application but are strong making them last without shedding of hairs (drives me crazy!!)

These brushes are great if you tend to be heavy handed as they help create a softer look, or if you want your blush or bronzer to be sheerer. Fan brushes can be used in many ways, perfect for cleaning up powder that has fallen from your eyes, by just fanning it away, or for  blending out harsh lines!! Use it as a powder brush, the thin shape allows you to concentrate simply on the t-zone leaving your cheeks to glow!

Buy here £20

Let me know what you think of ParisAx Proffesional as a brand?

Or what you think of fan brushes?

Round up of the week

 22.09.13-28.09.13

Most popular blog post of the week: Skincare Routine-Broken Down

Favourite product of the week: Chanel, Rouge Hydrabase in Splendor

Quote of the week:
 "Life is too short to spend hoping that the perfectly arched eyebrow or hottest new lip shade will mask an ugly heart." Kevyn Aucoin

Best moment: Watching Bake off- I heart Mary Berry

Favourite fellow blogger: The Sunday Girl- view her blog here

On my wishlist: Charlotte Tilbury, Airbrush Flawless finish, Skin Perfecting Micro-Powder.

Tip of the week: use your lipstick as blush to create a glowy complexion

Song of the week: Jason Derulo-Talk Dirty

Best purchase: Kevyn Aucoin-Best of Eyes

Instagram photos of the week: