Saturday, 28 September 2013

Avene Cold Cream Lip Cream!



Hey Beauties! With the change of season here come the chapped lips, something inevitable and pretty uncomfortable. This is a pretty cool lip balm for extremely chapped or cracked lips, caused by either physiological origin or induced by external aggressions. It helps to combat severe dryness. It works pretty quick, intensely smoothing, repairing and nourishing dehydrated lips. If I need a quick fix during the day time I apply Avene Cold Cream Lip Cream, it feels like it penetrates the broken skin and starts working almost immediately, unlike some lip balms that just sit on the surface of the skin not doing much. 

Literally after about 10 minutes I find the dry skin bits start to flake off making my lips feel incredibly smooth and protected, without even the need of using a lip scrub and all that. What I also love about it is that I don't really need to reapply it, the Cold Cream Lip Cream almost creates a barrier of protection. It's got a cream texture, and it's not glossy or matte, it has a velvet finish, which makes it last a long time. There is something about it that just makes my lips look super pretty without anything on top, very natural and healthy, so I love wearing it on its own!

LOVE

Friday, 27 September 2013

Tweezerman Slant Tweezer!



Hey Beauties! Tweezerman tweezers are really the classic tweezers of all tweezers. I have been using my Tweezerman Mini Slant Tweezer that I got at Boots, for like 3-4 years. They are still in good shape, and ever since I got them I never even considered to try any other tweezer brand. They are fantastic quality, I love the design, they are super comfortable to hold and just seem to catch the hair perfectly each time. So I decided to try a new pair of Tweezerman Tweezers, the Slant Tweezer. These look super sleek and sexy, I love the stainless steel silver metal design. What makes Tweezerman Tweezers so special is that they are famous for their precision hand filed tips. And as you can see they won the Allure Best of Beauty 2012 Award!

LOVE

Thursday, 26 September 2013

Dermalogica Age Smart Skinperfecting Primer!



Hey Beauties! I have been trying out the Dermalogica Skinperfect Primer and have really enjoyed it. You are meant to apply this primer on top of your moisturiser, it helps to prep the skin before getting on with foundation. This Skinperfect Primer helps to create a smooth surface, filling in fine lines and enlarged pores for a flawless base to help the foundation glide on smoothly for a beautiful velvet finish. This primer is tinted for a natural and even skin tone, while Pearl Powder and natural minerals enhance luminosity and radiance. 

I find it gives the foundation a dewy finish, creating a pretty hue. I would recommend Skinperfect Primer for those with dry, normal and combo skin types, if you are too oily you might need something mattifying instead. The other advantage of this primer is that it also has Age Smart skincare benefits, a potent peptide helps to improve skin firmness while SPF30 protects skin against sun damage. And the White Tea helps to prevent damage caused by free radicals!

LOVE

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

Zoya Hunter from Cashmeres Collection AW13











Hey Beauties! You may have seen my previous blogpost already where I featured this nailpolish. So here are more images of the Zoya Hunter, which is from the Cashmeres Collection AW13. For more information and swatches from this collection check out my previous blogpost. Zoya Hunter is described as a forest green cream, it's a deep dark green, very chic and right on trend for AW13. 

LOVE

Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Zoya AW13 Cashmeres & Satins: Claudine, Sailor, Mason, Hunter!

 Zoya Cashmeres & Satins AW13 Cololection
From L to R: Claudine, Sailor, Mason, Hunter
 Available at www.zoyapolish.co.uk


 Zoya Claudine from AW13 Satins Collection


 Zoya Sailor form AW13 Cashmeres Collection


 Zoya Mason from AW13 Satins Collection


Zoya Hunter from AW13 Cashmeres Collection


Hey Beauties! Exciting new AW13 shades from Zoya Cashmeres & Satins Collections!! Each collection has six shades, the Cashmeres Collection has six creams: Livingston [autumn red cream], Pepper [brick red cream - originally designed for Peter Som AW13], Sailor [navy cream], Hunter [forest green cream], Louise [chocolate brown cream], Flynn [camel cream] and the Satins Collection has six metallics: Channing [copper rust red metallic], Mason [red violet fandango pink metallic - originally designed for Zang Toi SS13], Claudine [gunmetal grey metallic], Neve [sapphire blue metallic - Zang Toi SS13], Giovanna [emerald green metallic - Zang Toi SS13], Maria-Louisa [sparkling cellophane gold topcoat]. In all the pictures I am wearing two coats of the nailpolish, the Sailor and Hunter from the Cashmeres Collection are super pigmented and are right on trend for AW13!


LOVE

Monday, 23 September 2013

Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream + Skin Illusion Mineral Powder!

Clarins Skin Illusion Mineral Powder Foundation in 108 Sand
and
Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream in 02 Medium






Hey Beauties! This is a nice foundation combo if you want to create a natural lightweight finish. Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream in 02 Medium on its own is a little too dark for my skin tone at the moment, if you are very fair I'd recommend the 01 shade. However, set with Clarins Skin Illusion Mineral Loose Powder Foundation in 108 Sand the BB cream looks perfect. If you don't know what BB cream is, it's basically skincare and foundation at once, quite often with a not very strong coverage, so it either can be used in place of tinted moisturiser, base, or SPF. Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream has a light coverage, it helps to create a more even skin tone and gives you a great base for a mineral foundation. But if you have acne scars or other visible imperfections then you will need to use a concealer. You can of course use the BB cream on its own if you have dry or normal skin type, but I have a combination skin so I always need to set it with a mineral foundation.

Clarins Skin Illusion Loose Powder Foundation is beautiful product to use on its own or as a setting powder. The fine milled Minerals & Plant Extracts create the ultra-fine silky texture, for a natural and flawless skin. It can be built up from light to a medium coverage. This mineral foundation  has illuminating properties, although it is meant to give you a matte finish the skin will still look beautifully radiant and perfectly even, so it is great for all skin types. On my combination skin I had to retouch the powder foundation after a couple of hours, as my skin started to look a bit too glowy. The packaging is stunning, it comes with a great quality pop out kabuki brush, which you have to push out and click back in place. It does look stunning on the vanity table! Both the BB cream and mineral foundation have a gorgeous rose scent.

LOVE

Sunday, 22 September 2013

Zoya PixieDust in Chita [Autumn 2013 Collection]!









Available at www.zoyapolish.co.uk



Hey Beauties! How stunning is this Zoya PixieDust textured nailpolish in Chita?! It dries to a matte finish and has a sandy texture with lots of glitter. I am only wearing one coat, it's super pigmented! Chita is from the new Autumn 2013 PixieDust Collection, which consists of six new on trend shades: Chita - emerald green, Tomoko - soft glittering silver, Sunshine - denim blue, Carter - regal purple, Arabella - fuchsia pink, Dhara - bright orange.


LOVE

Saturday, 21 September 2013

New Ontrend Launch: BarryM Matte Nail Effect Collection!

 Shade: Caramel










 Shade: Crush






Available at just £3.99! How amazing!!


Hey Beauties! I'm so excited that for a change I don't even know where to start... Being lost for words when it comes to a nailpolish is something that doesn't happen that often in my book! First time I have ever tried a matte nailpolish was a couple of years ago, truth be told I wasn't that impressed. And that is why I'm super excited that BarryM is launching this Matte range which I was lucky to get to try before it hits the stores. It is a totally different matte experience, I'd say it's the new re-vamped matte - matte that feels and looks just like velvet!! It doesn't have that odd matte feel on the nails, it feels super smooth. The matte grunge nail look is the hottest trend for AW13, as seen at Alexander Wang, DKNY, and Helmut Lang runway shows for this season.

I am so obsessed with these babies that as soon as they hit the BarryM counters I will go and get the rest of the colours from this Matte Nail Effects Collection!! Speaking of which, this amazing BarryM Matte Collection is launching on the 25th of September, this Wednesday!!! The collection consists of five shades: Caramel - a light and creamy shade, Vanilla - a mixture of pretty pink mink, Crush - a deep, rich burgundy berry, Mocha - a cocoa coloured brown, and Espresso - a deep and dark, classic black.


LOVE

Friday, 20 September 2013

Afternoon Tea with Flavien Abbas, Talking Fashion & Hair!

Flavien Abbas explains how to achieve LFW: SS14 Sleek Hair Trend


Flavien Abbas introduces his Touché by Flavien Oil Serum, which can be used
 on hair and skin, great for cuticles as well!


Touché  by Flavien Oil Serum - 100% natural ingredients!










Hey Beauties! Last night I met the wonderful and talented Flavien Abbas, who is the celebrity hairdresser extraordinaire, Senior Art Director for Harrods' Urban Retreat, and also  the creator of Touché by Flavien luxurious hair-care range, which I got introduced to. The range consists off Shampoo Collection: Dry Scalp, Oily Scalp, Normal Scalp. Conditioning Collection: Volume Up, Moisturising Repair, Intensive Nourishing Treatment, and Oil Serum. Styling Collection: Volumising Spray, Soft Control Cream, Sculpting Wax, Scalp Tonic, Leave In Conditioner.

The secret ingredient that Flavien chose to go into his Touché range is "opuntia ficus indica oil", which is the prickly pear oil, it's a very precious ingredient, as it takes a million seeds and 36 hours just to produce one litre of this super nutritious oil. Flavien believes that healthy hair foremost starts with a healthy scalp. Prickly pear contains double the amount of fatty acids, fibre and protein than argan oil. It is rich in natural vitamin E, a great antioxidant, and it has cell rejuvenating and anti-inflammatory properties, helping retain moisture, gloss and shine for beautiful and healthy hair.

Jasmine being my favourite floral note, I was very happy to find out that Touché by Flavien range has a Jasmine scent. Egyptian Jasmine to be exact, which is most luxurious and is usually found in perfumes! The black packaging is decadent, elegant, sleek and sexy [also unisex as obviously are the products], they become part of the décor. The golden label is inspired by Champagne, the region from which is the top bio-chemist who worked in conjunction with Flavien when creating the Touché by Flavien hair-care range. 

Being a SATC devotee I was very excited to find out from Flavien that Kim Cattrall, one of his clients, is a big fan of his Soft Control Cream for that perfect second-day finish, eliminating the freshly washed frizz and flyaways. Flavien also recommended the Soft Control Cream for that LFW sleek hair trend as seen on the runways this year.


LOVE

Thursday, 19 September 2013

Go-To Rock-Chick Autumn Smokey Eye!







 MAC Pigment in Copper + MAC Paint Pot in Idyllic


Swatches from L to R:
MAC Paint Pot in Idyllic, MAC Pigment in Copper
and MAC Paint Pot in Idyllic as a base and MAC Pigment in Copper on top


Hey Beauties! When I'm in the mood for that rock-chick smokey eye during the AW this is my go-to look. I tend to blend the eyeshadow less for that more edgy look and also don't apply any highlighters on the brow bone and just leave the area bare. It's a super quick look, which is great for when I'm in a hurry. I start with the base, MAC Paint Pot in Idyllic and over the top haphazardly apply the MAC Pigment in Copper. You can see how different Copper looks when it's applied over the Idyllic base. I love this combo! And of course no rock-chick goes out the door without her blackest eyeliner kohl smudged.

What are your favourite MAC combos?


LOVE

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Palmer Harding SS14 Runway Inspired Nail Trend!



 Two coats of this Alessandro nailpolish, not sure what it is called as I bought it as a collection of four minis and it doesn't have a name - it's a pearly off white


 Ciate Limited Edition Very Colourfoil Manicure, foil in Frost [silver]


 next foil I added is the Feisty [green]


 next Flirt [copper]


 and finally Flash [holographic]


 finished off with Sally Hansen Insta Dri Topcoat


 Ciate Very Colourfoil Manicure kit: you get a nail chart, foil glue, foil in six shades: 
Flash [silver holographic], Fizz [gold dotted holographic], Feisty [green], Fling [fuchsia], Flirt [copper], and Frost [silver] + a full size nailpolish in Cream Soda [a grey cream, which I didn't use in this look].


Hey Beauties! I have created this foil nail look inspired by the nails I saw on Palmer Harding runway show for SS14. Foil nails will be big next year! And what I love about the nail foils is that they are super easy to use, and you can get as creative as you want with them! So here is how I did it: Starting off with a base of your choice to always protect your nails [mine is OPI Nail Envy The Original], then I went for a pearly shimmery off white as the base colour, applying two coats. 

Next, layer after layer I applied the nail foils, starting with a silver, then green, copper and lastly holographic silver. Wait until the nailpolish has dried and then apply a thin layer of the foil glue to the area you want the foil to stick to, then with the matte side down touch down the foil and gently press on top then lift the foil sheet off. It's important to let the glue dry a little, it should go from a white to a transparent, then you can press the foil on. And that is it! 


LOVE