Welcome to all my readers. This is my first blog ever! Whenever I doll up for an occasion I'm always asked how I do my makeup and what products I use. Also at my bookings, I'm always advising my clients on the products I use on them and a majority of them usually contact me after the booking (after all the compliments they've been given ;) ) to find out exactly what I used on them so I thought why not share some of my advice and tips to more ladies out there! I hope you all enjoy reading my first blog, (sorry about the quality of the images, I used my phone) so here it goes...
Products I used to create this look:
EYES:
Urban Decay Original Eye Primer. Price - £16.00. Available from urbandecay.co.uk and Debenhams
Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream. Price - £25.50. Available from benefitcosmetics.com, ASOS.com, Boots and Debenhams
Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner, colour: Infinity. Price - £18.50. Available from Illmasqua.com and the Illmasqua stores.
Illmasqua Eye Colouring Pencil, colour: Sophie. Price - £15.00. Available from Illmasqua.com and the Illmasqua stores.
Illmasqua Skin Base Lift Brightening Concealer, colour: light 2 & medium 1. Price - £17.50. Available from Illmasqua.com and the Illmasqua stores.
Elizabeth Arden Double Density Mascara, colour: black. Price - £21.00. Available from elizabetharden.com, Boots, Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis
Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit. Price - £24.50. Available from benefitcosmetics.com, ASOS.com, Boots and Debenhams
Dior 5 Couleurs - Couture Colours & Effects Eyeshadow Pallette. Price - £42.00. Available from dior.com, sephora.com, Boots, Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis.
FACE:
Benefit: Total Moisture Facial Cream. Price - £28.50. Available from benefitcosmetics.com, ASOS.com, Boots and Debenhams
Diorskin Star Foundation, colour: 031 Price - £32. Available from dior.com, sephora.com, Boots, Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis.
Illmasqua: Light Liquid Foundation, colour 335. Price - £27 (product is discontinued)
Benefit: Rockitude, Rockin Rose Gold Lip & Cheek Kit. Price - £25.50. Available from benefitcosmetics.com, ASOS.com, Boots and Debenhams
LIPS:
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Protectant Stick. Price - £20. Available from elizabetharden.co.uk, boots.com, Debenhams and John Lewis
YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain, colour 11 Rouge Gouache. Price - £25. Available from sephora.com, Boots, Debenhams, House of Frase and John Lewis.
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| My top 5 products for Autumn 2014 |
1. DiorSkin Star Studio Makeup Spectacular Brightening Weightless Perfection
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| Before foundation (I'm only wearing concealer under my eyes) |
"DiorSkin Star Studio Makeup Spectacular Brightening Weightless Perfection SPF30 Inspired by the professional illuminating techniques and expertise of its makeup artists. Dior invents DiorSkin Star, it's 1st brightening foundation: a weightless fluid capable of instantly and over time recreating the spectacular and perfecting light of Dior's studios" (leaflet)
This foundation is the latest foundation by Dior it's the updated version of the DiorSkin Nude foundation. When I wear foundation I want it to look natural as though I'm not wearing foundation, this new liquid foundation gives you that fresh look with a light coverage, evanescent texture and you're still able to hide any small blemishes you have on your face. It's long-lasting so you can apply it early in the morning before going to work and it will last you until you need to get changed into your pyjamas! Overall if you're after a matte finish and not the typical dewy finish then this is made for you. I must say, It's a little pricey but definitely worth splurging for!
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| After |
The first thing I always do before applying makeup is exfoliate. I find it the best method to cleanse the face as it removes dead skin cells from the surface of the skin and it helps to smoothen the skin. I use Nivea Gentle Exfoliating Scrub for normal and combination skin as I have normal skin type. After cleansing my face and before applying the foundation I usually use primer from Smashbox but I recently purchased Benefit's Total moisturising cream and I'm in love with the thing, it feels so refreshing, so I decided to ditch the primer. I applied the foundation with the Sephora foundation brush, I only squirted the bottle twice and had enough to apply it on my face. After application I used a makeup sponge to blend the foundation.
Now you can see from the before and after, how my skin looks more brighter. I think the sun was shining on my face more when I took the after shot. It really does give you a flawless coverage, the results almost look airbrushed!
2. Dior 5 Couleurs - Couture Colours & Effects Eye-Shadow Palette: Trafalgar
"Dior reinvents the 5 Couleurs legend. True to the bold colour creation from the House of Dior, each harmony explores a unique world of colour. Based on a central shade, the signature of the palette, 4 accessory shades are used to create a multi-faceted look. The 5 Couleurs palette boasts a wide variety of textures and shades with a host of effects: matte, satiny, iridescent and ultra-shimmery for infinite ways to convey Colour and dress the eyes with exceptional makeup. Like a couture wardrobe for the eyes, 5 Couleurs gives free rein to your creativity to achieve custom makeup results. Dior has also created two ready-to-wear looks for the eyes - natural and sophisticated - based on the central shade." (www.dior.com)
I absolutely love this amazing palette, the colours are vibrant, shimmery and are just gorgeous to be used for any occasion. Each eye-shadow has an impeccable pigmentation, it's long lasting and has versatile textures for a lustrous gaze. The shades stay fresh through-out the day even if you don't use an eye primer. You can use the lighter shades to create a natural look and the darker colours for more of a prominent look. If you like to be creative with your makeup then this is the palette for you!
To create a sophisticated look using the Dior palette I applied the gold satin shade in the inner corner of my eyelid after I applied the Urban Decay eye primer. Then I applied the plum shade in the outer corner of the eye and extended it outwards to widen the eye area. After blending the two shades I added the red shade in the crease line and blended it. I completed the look by adding the ivory iridescent shade on the brow bone area and the pink iridescent shade in the inner corner.
I only did a double coat, perhaps next time I will add more layers of the eye-shadow, as for photography you need more colour! I knew that already but as I took the images under spot light, the colours are not shown as prominently.
3. Rockitude: Rockin' Rose Gold Lip and Cheek Kit
"Get off-the-charts sexy with our rockin’ rose gold lip & cheek kit! Create a show-stopping “rush of heat” with our famously provocative rockateur cheek powder, complementing gloss and all-time bestsellers benetint and high beam. " (www.benefitcosmetics.com)
The kit includes the Benetint rose-tinted lip and cheek stain, High Beam luminescent complexion enhancer, Rockateur blusher and Rockateur ultra plush lip gloss.
Following the tips given in the leaflet with the box, I applied 3 strokes of the Benetint on the apples of my cheek and blended the line using my fingers. Then I applied the Rockateur powder using the small brush provided on the same place. I had to use my own blusher brush by Sephora to blend it. To add the final touches, I appplied 3 dots of the High Beam on my cheekbones. I didn't use the lip gloss as I went for an alternative option for the final look but I did try it for another look and it was great, it kept my lips very moist! Overall my favourite product from this has to be the High Beam highlighter.
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| I took this picture after eating a bar of chocolate and I also had a glass of orange juice. |
4. YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain: Rouge Gouache
I love, love, love this stain it's just wowwwwww! It has a creamy texture, extremely pigmented, vibrant, and is long-lasting. It's not clumpy neither does it smudge. It literally stayed on for at-least 6 hours even when I had lunch and snacks. The applicator brush is slightly tilted compared to other stains I've used which are straight on. I applied the first layer and it felt like I was dabbing water onto my lips and was slightly patchy so I let it dry for a few sceonds and then added another coat to it which gave it more of an opaque, shine finish. This particular shade would be very flattering on medium to dark skin tones.
5. Illmasqua Precision Gel Liner: Infinity
"The eyeliner soon to be the mainstay in the make-up bags of every beauty enthusiast, Precision Gel Liner recreates the fluidity of a liquid liner in the ease of a gel. Creating a smooth, rich black line from the first application, the long-lasting and water-resistant formula is guaranteed to stay in place all day." (www.illamasqua.com)
In my experience this has to be the best gel liner in the market! The gel consistency glides effortlessly, it's best used to create winged eyeliner only if you have a good eyeliner brush. It doesn't dry out easily and doesn't smudge as it's water-resistant so you don't have to worry about ruining your eye makeup after watching an emotional scene at a movie with your partner. If you like the dark dramatic look then this needs to be in your make-up bag!!!
I hope you all found my reviews helpful, if you have any questions about any of the products or if you would like to share your experience on any of these products, then feel free to leave a comment! Thank you for your time! XxX
