Wednesday, 5 March 2008

Promoting 'Real Beauty'

This is one of the many Dove Campaigns to promote 'Real Beauty', it has been so refreshing to see a large cosmetic brand doing it's bit to stamp out the media's perception of what is beautiful - manufactured, buffed & polished unachievable beauty, to the point none of us would even want to look in the mirror again for fearing we could never live up to these unrealistic & not to mention false standards..?!



The above film shows the real story behind the billboards, we've all heard before that ad pictures are airbrushed although to see it performed before your very eyes just goes to show how real 'false' beauty actually is!
I've always believed in making the most of what you have, we can't all love what we see in the mirror everyday of life & there will always be photos of ourselves we want tear up, but it's how we feel about what we have that matters as well as learning that perfection does not exist & if even it did, would it be good enough for us anyway!?

Saturday, 1 March 2008

Latest Looks - Bold Eyebrows, Coral Lipstick & Orange Nail Varnish


Bold Eyebrows, Coral Lips & Orange Nails are three of the hottest looks of the moment, firstly bold eyebrows - Sienna Miller 'boldly' sported this look back in September last year which caused quite a stir, even making it to the front cover of Vogue. To get this look ensure your brows are well shaped with no stray hairs (bold does not mean bushy, nor does it mean monobrow!!), one way to give yourself an instant bolder look is to take some eyeshadow closest to your own natural colour & with a slanted eye brush (Try Mac's Small Angled Brow Brush - £13) define & deepen your brows, then take a brow comb through them afterwards to soften the finish.

Coral lips have featured a lot this week & it is most definitely the colour of the moment, the buzz started after it featured during London Fashion Week, Revlon's 'Kiss Me' Coral shade was brought out from the archives for the Roksanda Ilincic show & was such a hit Revlon have now brought it back out for sale!! (Limited Edition - £7.49)

Dark nails have been all the rage for quite some time but this season lighten up with Orange nail polish which is the latest lacquer obsession, neon colours are set to dominate for quite some time to come! Try Nails Inc -'Hans Place' (£9.50)

Friday, 29 February 2008

Bannish Dark Circles With Dior's L'or de Vie - La Creme Yeux


This beautiful little potion from Dior can work wonders for those dark circles we all have to deal with in the morning (Monday's being the worst!), it soothes as well as freshens the eye area & with it's combination pearl & iridescent particles reflects light immediately brightening the skin. It is a new addition to their L’Or De Vie anti-aging line & this cream uses the the sap from the vine shoots of the sauvignon grapes from the Château d’Yquem which has both anti-oxidizing and regenerating properties. Claims say that from the very first application a noticible difference to the appearance of dark circles & puffiness is achieved as well as the tone & elasticity greatly improved too, with an average success rate of 85% it's well worth giving it a shot!

Thursday, 28 February 2008

Sex And The City Official Trailer - Glamour Central!!!

Now I know Sex and the City isn't exactly beauty related, well it is really, you can't get more style inspiration or make-up perfection than when watching Carrie & her girls strut their stuff down 5th Avenue, or when they're putting the worlds' love life to right whilst holding a Martini!!
Anyway the first sneak preview of the 'Official Trailer' has been doing the rounds this week, I have to admit I had goosebumps all over when I caught a glimpse, warning though it does appear to be a real giveaway as to what's in store for us, however they do a promise a real twist to the plot that nobody will see coming!!! Roll on 30th of May!!!


Also I managed to stumble over some great backstage info from the Make-Up Trailers at Sex and the City, here the girl's make-up artsists share their secrets on the stars favourite products & colours!!! -

Sarah Jessica Parker
Foundation- Only spotted on certain areas giving “Carrie” a very opalescent look. Max Factor Foundation on cheek area in a shimmery tan color, sometimes mixed with blush and a moisturizer.
Blush- Make-Up Forever in Shanghai
Mascara- L’Oreal Voluminous in Black
Eye Shadow- Depending on what she’s wearing, Lynn will apply usually green or blue shadow in the center of her lid. She likes Nars, Hard Candy and Make-Up Forever.
Eye Liner- A little bit of a powdery pencil applied under the eye, close to the lashes and centered.
Lips- Natural color with a shiny gloss. Lip pencils in Barbaro and Jessica by Face Stockholm and BeneFit in Do Ya Wanna?

Kristin Davis
Skin Prep- Epicuren Face Lotion applied under make-up. |
Foundation- Either Prescriptives Magic Liquid Potion with Calvin Klein Base in Bisque or Prescriptives in Sheer Beige by itself.
Concealer- YSL Radiant Touch under eyes and sometimes mixed with Prescriptives Magic Blue Neutralizer
Highlighter- Prescriptives Magic Highlighter
Powder- Prescriptives Magic Liquid Powder
Blush- Varies between Nars Amore or Paula Dorff Tootsie and sometimes Nars Orgasm
Lashes- Shu Uemura Eyelash curler and Helena Rubenstein Curling Mascara in Black
Eyes- Nicki bases eyes with the two lightest colors from the Visiora Eye Shadow Palette. Keeps eyes natural with colors like Calvin Klein Pink Opal, Taupe, and Almondine in crease.
Brows- Shu Uemura Seal Brown Brow pencil
Lips- Lips varied between Philosophy Kiss Me Lip Balm in Red, Stila Lip Shine, Stila Luster, MAC Glass, TIGI Bed Head Gloss in Plum #5

Cynthia Nixon
Skin Prep- Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Toner, Epicuren: Discovery Facial Emulsion and Epicuren: Discovery Eye Cream
Foundation- Visiora MV 002
Concealer- Prescriptives Camouflage Crème: Yellow/Orange Medium
Powder- Christian Dior Loose Powder #600. For touch-ups Margie uses a M.A.C powder compact in Blot Medium
Brows- Paula Dorf Brow Duet in Red
Eye Shadow- Paula Dorf Tinsel on lid, Nars Lola Lola in crease and Stila Starlight on brow bone.
Eye liner- M.A.C Black Crème Liner on top lid only
Mascara- Calvin Klein Sable
Cheeks- Shu Uemura Glow On Blush Peach 40 on apples of cheeks and Nars Orgasm on cheek bones.
Lips- Lined with Chanel Triple Colour Crayon Pencil in Sugar and glossed with Nars Baby Doll

Kim Cattrall
Foundation- Visiora
Powder- T. Le Clerc in Ivory, and sometimes Banane
Blush- Chanel in Tempting Beige
Mascara- in Black
Eyes- Depends on outfits and scene. Lynn tends to stay with neutral and beige shades on Kim with a little black or brown line near the lashes.
Lips- Trish McEvoy lip pencil in #12, #17 and Trish McEvoy wand glosses. Bobbi Brown lipstick in Sand Pink
For a more dramatic look, Kim wears Chanel True Red lipstick.

Also while in the Sex and The City mood, I couldn't help trying out the new SJP Fragrance, 'Covet', the perfect accessorie for a girl's night out! Quite an unusual scent to it, a 'woody' edge with florals as well, defintely worth a sniff!!!

Wednesday, 27 February 2008

Top Three Long Lasting Lip Glosses!

After a fair amount of research I've finally found the lip glosses that last the longest, as confirmed by many other lip gloss fans! Here are the top three that come up trumps for longevity when making your lips glossy & luscious!!!
First up & definitely the favourite with claims that this can last around 5 hours(!!), 'Victoria's Secrets Beauty Rush Gloss' (Available at www2.victoriassecret.com). Secondly & my own personal favourite is 'Mac LipGlass' (£10), it was a pretty close call between the top two but this one's lastability is still very strong, some claiming a good 3-4 hours! Last but not least Estee Lauder's 'Pure Color Gloss' (£14) was a preferred product by many, plus all three products come in a range of many colours to choose from, even better...!!!

Regardless of what product you use there are a few tips in making your gloss last longer - Firstly make sure your lips are in good condition, apply lip balm beforehand & if needs be exfoliate your lips (use a soft bristle tooth brush for this & rub away excess dry skin). Apply a little foundation to the lips, very sparingly & then gently pat a little translucent powder over the top, this will provide a good base to hold the gloss in place,
also try a lip primer as these work a little longer at holding your lippy in place, I use Benefits Lip Plump (14.50) under lipstick & gloss which works a treat at keeping everything where it should be!

DESIGNER MAKE-UP AT GREAT PRICES!

Tuesday, 26 February 2008

Make-Up At The Oscars!


As always there were many glamorous make-up looks making their way down the red carpet on Sunday, but here's my two favourites of the evening... First of all Jessica Alba, glowing dewy skin matched with smoky eyes & glossy lips!
Katherine Heigl opted for a more vintage style with a certain 'Marilyn' finish to it, incredibly striking with this season's most popular red carpet lipstick, bright 'coral' (sported by a few celebs earlier at the Brits & Baftas), definitely a must have colour for your Saturday night make-up bag this season!




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Dewy Skin & Spring Colours

Dewy fresh skin is one of Spring's hottest looks this year, here are some great tips on how to sport the look yourself!! Firstly moisturise your skin & use a good rich moisturiser for this, then apply a light foundation, take a bristle brush & 'fluff' the foundation in circular motions this will create a soft & almost airbrushed effect, best brush for this, try Mac's 'Duo Fibre Brush' (£28).
Next step in achieving your dewy glow is in the blush, opt for a cream blusher which will give a sheen to your skin with a flush of colour, try Mac's BlushCreme, apply to the apple of your cheeks (soft fleshy part you'll find when you smile) & blend upwards across the cheekbone, lightly blending outwards to give a soft finish. For the soft 'pink' look that is the colour for this season go for Mac's 'Brit Wit' or if a more bronzed effect is what you're after go for their 'Fancy Ray'. Finish this off by setting lightly with translucent powder along your t-zone, then match your dewy finish with your favourite eye make-up & glossy lips!

If you're looking for a fresh spring selection of colours then look no further than your nearest Bobbi Brown counter, this year's Limited Edition Palate 'Pink Raspberry Collection' (£40) has everything you need for this season's pink obsession! It has cool neutral shades for eyes & pink raspberries for lips & cheeks, also the best thing is every shade is said to be flattering to all skin tones!

MAC & BOBBI BROWN MAKE-UP AT GREAT PRICES!