Mineral Make-Up Mania!

Mineral foundation has been a growing trend over the last decade, Jane Iredale was the first to discover the benefits of mineral make-up to the skin with her signature brand, shortly followed by i.d Bare Escentuals, both are considered leaders in the mineral make-up field & have created a cult following not to mention that Bare Escentuals is now the number one selling foundation in the US, so it's no wonder many other brands are now following suit with their own take on the mineral miracle!!

Mineral make-up is basically based on titanium and zinc oxide which both occur naturally, they also provide spf 15 and with zinc having anti-inflammatory properties the make-up is great for skin conditions such as rosacea and acne. Another great plus is it can be worn after waxing as well as any abrasive facial treatments to help heal the skin.

The powdered foundation is used as one step only, no need for concealer & powder to set, some people have found this has proven a little tricky to apply & get an even finish, especially those with dry skin, here's some tips on getting the most from your mineral make-up -

1 - Start by applying to clean moisturised skin.
2 - When applying Mineral foundation it is essential to have the right brush, use one with a high density of hair, short, firm & soft.
3 - Make sure you don't put too much on your brush, it is very highly pigmented so a little goes a long way, you press the head of the brush directly against the holes of the sifter, tip the whole pot upside down, and then lift the brush off of the sifter, there should be a light dusting of powder on the brush head and that amount should be enough to cover at least one cheek, if not the whole face.
4 - To finish off make sure you buff in order to create a smooth appearance, buffing with the brush brings out the qualities in the minerals to give a glowing finish to the make-up, take your brush in firm circular motions & spread the make-up around the cheeks, down the jaw line & over the nose, repeat a few times & you will see the results with a flawless finish..!

As mentioned many of the large cosmetic firms are now producing their own mineral foundation, most recently including Revlon & Maybelline and now Mac have just released their Mineralize SPF15 Foundation (£22.50), a powdered foundation which promises to provide the skin with a smooth radiant & natural finish while keeping the skin, healthy, nourished & conditioned, definitely worth testing it out!

Clinique Bonus Time!!

Bonus time at Clinque again & they have a fantastic goody bag of treats worth £55 to give away for every 2 products bought & that's not all...with your 3rd product you'll also receive an extra gift of Water Therapy Hand Cream & Deep Comfort Body Butter, offer ends 31/05 so stock up on your clinique before then!

Poll Winning Anti Wrinkle Cream - Aldi's Siana Day & Night Cream at £1.89!

The latest beauty craze to hit the supermarket shelves is Aldi's Siana Anti-Wrinkle Day & Night Creams, just a few weeks ago the Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter was flying off the shelves & last year Boot's Protect & Perfect was causing queues around the block as women tried to get their hands on a tub... The Siana cream at just £1.89 has already topped many polls beating top designer brands such as Elemis & Helena Rubenstein, the day cream sales went up by 800% & sold 35,000 in just one day alone & the night cream is set to do the same wih Aldi now putting limitations on their stock. Tomorrow's 'How to Look Good Naked' on Channel 4 features the night cream in their beauty poll where it out performs Lancome's night cream at £51 to become top of the list! So if you want to try it out get down to your local Aldi store before the progamme airs tomorrow night!

Latest Summer Trend - Bright Orange!

Coral lips were all the rage in early spring which now seems to have evolved into a warm orange for summer 2008, wear either on the eyes or lips (certainly not on both!) & either pale or tanned skins can wear this trend. For pale skins go easy with the colour & only use a small flash of colour on the top lash line if opting for the eye make-up. Also it is best to go with a matte finish with the orange when using it for eyes or lips, it avoids an orange over load! Try out Mac's EyeShadow in Orange or YSL's Lipstick in Orange Sari (pictured above).

Brand New - Scholl Healthy Nails, Nail Brightening System

Now that the sun is out & peep toe shoes are back in, brightening those toes is a must!! After months of hiding in woolly socks our toe nails aren't looking too hot, so Scholl's new brightening system is just the answer!!!
It conditions & treats discoloured nails, reduces yellowing caused by varnish or thickening of the nail plate & gives you healthy looking brightened nails. You can also use this as a base coat under your varnish, available at Boots, 9.99.

Weather Works By Frizz-Ease - Style Sealant Creme

Well I thought I'd give this a whirl after receiving my free sample, I've always had my doubts about these products to be honest as my hair generally has a mind of it's own regardless!!! Anyway after applying this morning & being out & about all day with barely a moment to go near a hairbrush I must say I'm pretty impressed, it's 6pm & my hair is as sleek & shiny as it was after my GHD's did their job at 8am!!
It basically works by sealing the hair, blocking out the humidity & moisture in the air as well as neutralising static, plus it seals split ends & gives a natural hold to your hair style. Perfect for going on holiday, when you don't want to have frizz all day & night in the hot weather, not forgetting the usual wet British summers!!!
Apply to your hair when wet & style as normal, also check out the shampoos & conditioners in the range too...

Brand New From The Body Shop - Eye Lustre Pearls

Brand new from the Body Shop for this summer is their Eye Lustre Pearls (£9), these are little shimmering pots of metallic beads that give a sparkling & bold flash of colour over the lids.
For best results use a fluff brush & swirl it around at the top of the beads then sweep it across your lids & blend outwards, keep the application soft as a little goes along way. The beads come in three colours & each pot has 2 shades to compliment each other - Silver Blue, Golden Green & Lustrous Pink, all have a metallic finish which is very hot for this season!