Sunday, 8 February 2015

Bobbi Brown Mini Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick Trio

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You know what I love? Mini versions of beauty brand classics. Bobbi Brown's Long Wear Shadow Sticks have become quite a popular little product over the years with their effortless and high-impact application, an easy, all-in-one cream stick that can be used to shade, define, smoke or highlight the eyes. With a promise of no fading, flaking, smudging or creasing for up to 8 hours - simply swipe and go!

Last Christmas Bobbi Brown downsized their bestselling shadow sticks into a neatly packaged trio of three popular shades - espresso bean (rich charcoal black with subtle shimmer), Pink Sparkle (soft, shimmery pink) and Smokey Topaz (a brown heather mauve) - my personal favourite! There is nothing quite as alluring as a holiday, limited edition gift set and this Long Wear shadow stick trio set* (£29.50) is a perfect little selection of shadows to pop in your makeup bag for a quick, sparkly eye look. And thankfully they are still available to be snapped up from Harrods and Debenhams. The consistency is creamy and smooth and is lovely to apply all over the lid or along the lash line without any fear of pulling or tugging of the skin. The pigmentation is strong and a little overwhelming to begin with so I like to roughly run the shadow stick all over my lid and then go in with my fingertips to smudge the colour out and sheer out the finish a little. I did find that if applied too heavy the cream shadow can crease a bit over time so I much prefer to use these lightly blended out or gently applied along the lower lash line to define and smoke out a simple makeup look. They are pretty much foolproof and a great option to take you from daytime to party time with a simple swipe of shimmer and sparkle.

Which colour do you like the look of? Are you a fan of Bobbi Brown's cream shadow sticks?
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Saturday, 7 February 2015

Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector

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I am yet to meet anyone who does not love the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfectors (featured here). Released nearly two years ago, these delicious treats for the lips have been a popular lip product of choice for beauty lovers everywhere and work perfectly as a treatment, gloss or all-over colour. It is understandable therefore that the beauty world buzzed with excitement when it was revealed that Clarins were adding to their popular Instant Light line and introducing six new Lip Perfector products in the form of a melting gel lip balm with the same, deliciously-sweet taste.

The Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Balm Perfectors* (£18) are available in six beautifying shades ranging from a rosy-pink, punchy coral, natural nude and a personalised pink that reacts to your lips ph levels giving everyone their own bespoke colour. These balms are packed full of wild mango and Shea butter as well as vitamin E so are incredibly moisturising and hydrating so are the perfect pick when you are after a lip balm that imparts a sheer wash of colour wrapped up in a luxurious, slimline package. The silky smooth formula glides on beautifully and gives your lips a luscious finish whilst giving them a plumped appearance and subtle gloss without any stickiness. My heart will still always lie with the original Lip Perfectors as I love the sponge applicator and creamy consistency which gives you a bit more colour payoff than these balms but if your lips are after some TLC with a pop of pretty colour then these are a great little option.
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Thursday, 5 February 2015

YSL Touche Éclat Rose Gold Highlighter

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The unmistakable packaging and allure of YSL's touche éclat "golden pen" highlighter is a cult product that has probably featured in everyone's makeup bag at some point (I know I have clicked my way through a fair few!). Well now YSL have introduced a new touche éclat product, giving this luxury classic a slight twist with a formula infused with gorgeous rose gold particles. This pink-hued version is designed to add instant radiance to your temple, cheekbones, inner corners of your eyes and brow bone and definitely needs to be regarded very much as a highlighter and not a concealer, which sometimes is a confusion point with the original touche éclat.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Or Rose Radiant Touch* (£25) is available from Boots for a limited time only and delivers a sublime blush-pink shimmering light to your skin. With a lightness in consistency and a formula that is easily blended with your fingers it is easy to see why the original touche éclat has become so popular and I think this new version is just as lovely. With a few clicks and some precision application, this slimline highlighter adds a rosy radiance to the higher areas of your face and the pearly-pink finish could be likened to Benefit's High Beam which does a similar job. If you are a big fan of the original Touche Eclat then this new Rose Gold edition might be worth checking out - plus it is limited edition so stock up quick!
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Monday, 2 February 2015

Tom Ford Lips & Boys Mini Lipsticks

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left to right: Patrick, Giacomo, Preston, Michael, Alexander, John
Meet my boys! My mini, pocket-sized, limited edition line up of lip-loving Tom Ford lipsticks which are just too dreamy for words. Tom Ford have released this 'get-them-before-they-go' collection of clutch-sized lipsticks, a fabulous fifty shades in total, and all named after certain men who have inspired, entertained or interested Tom Ford during his life. Absolutely amazing! Rumour has it Colin refers to Colin 'Mr Darcy' Firth himself, Alexander is inspired by Mr Ford's 2 year old son whereas Richard is more than likely to be in honour of Richard Buckley, his husband.

The Tom Ford Lips & Boys collection* is available from Selfridges and comprises of fifty sensational shades ranging from light pink and peach hues, fuchsias, magentas, plums, reds and some very on-trend nudes and browns to help you perfect that Kylie Jenner pout! These dinky lipsticks are small but perfectly formed and at £26 each, they are a much more affordable option too compared to an eye-watering £37 for their original, larger-sized counterpart. But nothing is compromised in the formula, finish or packaging with these pocket-perfect lipsticks - the consistency is buttery-soft, highly-pigmented and long-lasting and they've even managed to squeeze the iconic TF engraving onto the bullet which, lets face it, makes the Tom Ford lipsticks look so luxurious. The majority of the shades in the Lips & Boys are slightly shimmery to give your lips a lustre and plumpness but there are also some matte shades to be found, so hopefully there is something for everyone!

Boy oh boy, this limited edition collection is just beautiful and so so tempting. Do I pick Leonardo, Pablo, Liam, Justin or Sebastian? They is just so much choice. Well, in the words of Tom Ford himself - "I like the idea of lipsticks named after boys. Why commit to one when you can have several?" Well if you insist!!
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Sunday, 1 February 2015

Contour & Highlight with Clinique Chubby Sticks and Sculptionary Cheek Palettes

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Chiselled cheekbones and contoured cheeks are the things of makeup dreams and something that most people can only admire from their sofa whilst catching up on the Kardashians. It is one of those coveted makeup secrets - how to enhance your natural bone structure in an effortless, natural way and something that I try to achieve, and sometimes succeed with, on a daily basis. Well Clinique has risen to the challenge and are launching a selection of new products to help us girls shape and sculpt with ease and say hello to those cheekbones!

First up is a variation on Clinique's classic Chubby Stick with these two new chunky crayons designed specifically to sculpt, contour and highlight the cheek area. Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight* (£19) and Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour* (£19) are a perfect pairing to help you achieve flawless cheekbones in a few simple strokes. The Sculpting Contour is a warm, rich brown which may look a little scary on first application but is so smooth and creamy it can be effortlessly blended into the skin. Just start lightly handed and build it up if necessary. This contour stick can be applied wherever shadows would naturally fall so just under your cheekbone, either side of your nose, along the jawline or around the temples - wherever you desire. You know the drill, suck your cheeks in and apply! You can use a brush or your fingers to blend this colour in but I find it best to gently blend and fade the contour colour in with my fingertips. Once the depth and definition has been applied it is time to add the highlight and the Sculpting Highlight crayon is wonderful at giving your skin a beautiful pearly sheen without any clumsy glitter or shimmer. It contains pearlised, light-reflecting pigments which helps you achieve a luminous look to contrast again the matte, darkened contours on your face. Again this stick can be easily swiped or dabbed along your cheekbones, down the middle of your nose or in the middle of your forehead. This cream highlight is so pretty and subtle but is slightly frosty which I like, but I know some people would prefer something warmer with golden tones.

But if cream formulas are not your thing when it comes to contouring and highlighting those cheekbones then do not fear as Clinique are also releasing their new Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palettes* (£28) in four defining shades to deliver a rich, long-lasting fresh flush to beautifully emphasise bone structure. Each powder palette contains a tri-toned compact - a colour, a contour and a highlight colour, which can be used separate or simply swirled together for a pretty, all over natural glow. For blush in a rush you can easily just use one, two or all of the three shades swirled together but for super-sculpted cheeks then you can use the darkest powder colour to contour, the lightest shade to highlight and then the medium shade to sweep onto the apples of your cheeks. These are beautiful blushers but they do contain a slight shimmer, even the darker contour shades, so I would much prefer to use the Chubby Stick to contour and then use these cheek palettes to highlight and add a flush of colour to my cheeks. I have shades 02. Defining Berries and 04. Defining Nudes and I think the latter one is definitely my favourite, The pretty cream, apricot and nude shades are lovely and it works best as a contour and highlight kit or just as a normal blush to add a sweet sweep of shimmer and colour.

What do you think of these new products from Clinique (available on counters nationwide from 6th February 2015)? What are your favourite products to contour and highlight those cheekbones?
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Saturday, 31 January 2015

MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick

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MAC Ruby Woo is one of those classic red lipsticks that everyone needs to have in their collection! I am sure most of you reading this can either confirm that they already have this beauty in their makeup stash or have it on the never-ending wish list, for that next venture to a MAC counter. Neatly sitting in the middle of the colour spectrum somewhere between MAC Lady Danger and MAC Russian Red, it is the perfect pin-up red that will suit the majority of skin tones and complexions.

The Retro Matte formula makes this lipstick ooze Hollywood glamour and will stay put for hours on end! It is best applied with a lip brush and would also benefit from an accompanying lip liner to ensure you pout is drawn to perfection, but it is definitely worth the effort. Available online from MAC Cosmetics and on all counters, Ruby Woo (£15.50) is a scarlet stunner that I think everyone needs to give a go at some point!

Have you a fan of Ruby Woo?
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Organic Surge Hydrating Eye Cream

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I've got to be honest and confess that eye cream is not something I incorporate everyday in my routine skincare regime. Providing I am using a good moisturiser I sometimes don't miss the addition of an eye cream but will ensure I treat my peepers to a surge of hydration and care at least a few times a week and at the moment I have been really enjoying this new product from Organic Surge's luxury new Extra Care range - their Hydrating Eye Cream.

Suitable for all skin types but specifically formulated for sensitive skin, this eye cream is packed full of lovely stuff to really condition, soothe and calm the skin around your delicate eye area. The natural, mineral-rich cream is lightweight and cooling and quickly sinks into the skin without leaving any greasy residue or stickiness. It is cool upon application and really feels like it is rejuvenating the skin and giving your eyes a pleasant wake up call. The blend of Jojoba Oil, Grape Seed Oil and Alfalfa Extract set to work on calming tired eyes, reducing fine lines, moisturising and protecting sensitive and delicate skin as well as improving skin tone to even out any dullness or redness. It is a lovely little product to use to pep up your eye area, soothe any irritation or tiredness and smooth out any fine lines before your primer and morning makeup application begins.

The Organic Surge Extra Care Hydrating Eye Cream* (£18.50) is available online from Organic Surge and also from leading retailers such as John Lewis, Ocado and Waitrose. I would love to know what eye creams or gels you are currently using in your skincare regime?

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