Friday 28 February 2014

Butter London Keen - Boho Rock Collection!











Hey Beauty Lovers! Butter London Keen is from the Spring 2014 Boho Rock Collection. Keen is a really pretty pastel peach and it's perfect for spring. It needs a good few coats as it goes on a little streaky, but with three coats it's perfection! This shade makes hands look slightly paler than they are, so with a bit of tan it would look even better.


LOVE

Thursday 27 February 2014

On-Trend: Super Chic 70s Inspired Hair Updo!



 Nails: Nails Inc. Gel Effect Polish in Soho Place
[available in March 2014]




Hey Beauty Lovers! This updo is a modern version of the classic 60s beehive and a more softer but still voluminous 70s updo. It's great for medium long hair and doesn't involve any back-combing whatsoever, back-combing makes me cringe as it tends to break hair and create frizz afterwards... To create volume I used Kerastase K Lift Vertigo, which is a root-uplifting gel with medium hold. I have done a full review on this product previously so check it out by clicking here! You just need to massage one pump of this gel into the roots of still damp hair and then blow-dry with a round brush to achieve that voluminous lift. To create this hairstyle all you need to do is hold the hair at the ends and then just push it up and secure it with a hair clamp and bobby pins, making sure you have a nice lifted shape! For extra hold you can finish with hairspray. E voilà!


LOVE

Wednesday 26 February 2014

Phoebe Lettice Inspired Smokey Eye & Beach Waves Hair!







Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in Pearly Onyx Black






Hey Beauty Lovers! The best thing about last series of Made In Chelsea was Phoebe Lettice's make-up, literally! Phoebe has an edgy sense of style and she has more fashion sense than any of the others put together. I also love Phoebe's attitude and her legendary eye-rolls are fabulous... Her hair and make-up reflect her character perfectly, a modern rock-chick meets 70s bombshell. Phoebe wore very little make-up but strategically placed, in most cases it was a nude lip paired up with her iconic black eyelids. She would hardly ever wear any eyeshadow in the crease line, and just go for the eyeliner, either winged or just smudged but keeping it pretty thick leaving the rest as bare as it comes.

So to create this look I decided to use Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in Pearly Onyx Black, which I have from the Christmas gift set. It's a super chic shimmering black, perfect for this type of smokey eye. Although these eyeshadow sticks are meant to be long-lasting on me they start to smudge pretty much after five minutes, I do have oily eyelids so that might be the reason. I have also tried applying the Kiko Stick Eyeshadows over a primer but I find it makes the whole thing feel too heavy and sticky on the eyelids but it does pro-long the wear. But for this look I actually like this kind of lived-in texture so I don't mind a bit of creasage. So I go straight in and apply it onto bare eyelids, keeping the eyeshadow strictly on the moving part of the eyelid, that is the key to the Phoebe Lettice beauty look. 

This look is great for hooded eyes, as Phoebe has super hooded eyes, which means when looking straight ahead you can't see the moving part of the eyelid, so it appears as if you are not wearing much at all. But as soon as you look down you reveal a nice bit of edgy blackness, which I think looks super chic and effortless! I also wing the eyeshadow just slightly to elongate the eyeshape and make it look just a little more sassy. The next step is optional as Phoebe doesn't do it often but I like to take the eyeshadow also under the lower lashes and soften the look by smudging the hard edges with a pencil brush. For extra depth I apply MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline over the top lashes also winging it out and on the waterline. Apart from mascara there is nothing else on the eyelids, no primers, no highlighters, absolutely nada!

***

Hair-wise Phoebe often wears raised tops which involves back-combing, and also head scarves, all of which has that flamboyant 70s feel. But also quite often her hair is just loose and has a lot of movement, looking messy in a sexy way and super effortless. However, I decided to go for a beach waves hair look that I think it looks great with this edgy smokey eye. So first of all after washing hair, while it's still damp I applied a generous amount of Kerastase K Mousse Bouffante, which is a volumising and strong hold mousse. Then blow-drying the hair until it's 80% dry, following with the Kerastase K Spray a Porter, which is a texturising spray for that tousled effect with flexible hold. Both of the products have heat-styling protective agent!! And then I used my beloved BaByliss Soft Waves curling wand to achieve this look.

This is actually second day hair, because my hair never looks great straight after a wash or when it's freshly curled. Slept in hair looks much better on me, so you can see how well the hair kept the volume and the curls its shape. The hair actually looked great the day after too, it just needed bit of freshening-up with a touch of dry shampoo right at the roots. I absolutely enjoyed wearing this hair look together with what from now onwards I will refer to as the Phobe Lettice Smokey Eye, a new iconic signature look is added to my beauty terminology!

LOVE

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Nails Inc. Gel Effect Polish in Soho Place!











Hey Beauty Lovers! How super cool is this nailpolish?!! So happy to bring in some colour and start wearing bright tips just in time for spring. Nails Inc. Gel Effect Polish in Soho Place is a vibrant teal with a cream finish, which makes your hands look super pretty and tanned. Soho Place is part of the Spring 2014 Collection and will be available in March! The formula of this range is amazing and looks super beautiful and shiny with two coats.

Update: The only downside to Soho Place is that it really stains the skin. It just wouldn't come off with the nailpolish remover, the only thing that helped was a long soak in the bath.


LOVE

Monday 24 February 2014

On-Trend: Nude Lips & Neon Jewellery!



 Unfortunately Accessorize doesn't put the name of the jewellery pieces on the labels 
so I have no idea what these neon chandelier earrings are actually called, 
and they also don't seem to be available on the website...


 L to R: MAC Lipstick in Creme D' Nude [Cremesheen] + Hue [Glaze]
Nails: Nails Inc. Gel Effect Polish in Downtown


Hey Beauty Lovers! I've been looking for neon chandelier earrings for ages and finally found a pair that I really love, these are super pretty and also affordable [only 16 quid at Accessorize]! The good news is that we are almost done with winter and I'm ready to embrace spring with some colour. I find neon jewellery can look super chic when offset with neutral make-up and a nude lip. Currently I went back to my good old MAC nude lipsticks, and these two make a particularly flattering nude lip combo. First I apply the MAC Creme D' Nude, which is too pale on me and then I top it up with MAC Hue, which is a pretty nude pink. Them two together give you a super luscious nude lip!

 
LOVE

Sunday 23 February 2014

Nails Inc. Gel Effect Polish in Downtown!











Hey Beauty Lovers! First of all I had to go short because unfortunately one of the nails snapped right at the base, and honestly I prefer wearing long nails to short, so in a couple of week I should be back on track. But more importantly I am absolutely loving this Nails Inc. Gel Effect Polish! Downtown is one of the newer shades I believe, it's a beautiful cool-toned juicy pink with a cream finish. Although it's a hot pink it's not obnoxious, it looks chic and can totally be worn during a/w as well. I'd say it's one of those super flattering bright shades that looks amazing throughout the entire year! And of course I love [x3] this formula, it's super pigmented, super smooth, and super shiny!


LOVE

Saturday 22 February 2014

Book Review: Vogue on Coco Chanel by Bronwyn Cosgrave!



 Coco Chanel is holding one of the iconic enamelled cuff bracelets decorated with 
coloured stones that Fulco di Verdura created for her.


Coco Chanel's love for jewels... 
Coco Chanel was often seen wearing a lot of her beloved luxurious jewellery even at the beach, 
rumour has it that the value of her jewels was so astronomical that she couldn't insure it.
To avoid the risk of it being stolen she preferred to have it on.


 "Every day a stylist from Guillaume, the top Paris salon, tended  Chanel's hair 
and helped affix the straw boater that she always wore as a self-defence mechanism, 
reasoning that if someone boring paid her a visit, she could always motion to her hat and explain: 
'I was just going out.'" [from Vogue on Coco Chanel]


Available on oliverbonas.com


Hey Beauty Lovers! I have featured this book last week as a V-Day gift idea. Any fashion book that lands on my coffee table serves a pure purpose of indulging beauty. Vogue on Coco Chanel by Bronwyn Cosgrave isn't just about bespoke craftsmanship, beautiful photography and rarely-seen fashion illustration, it's also a fantastic read! I devoured this book in one sitting, so I decided I shall write a review to share the love.

In this book besides the legendary photography by Cecil Beaton, David Bailey and Irving Penn [my all-time favourite black and white photographer], there is also a vast load of information compactly compressed into the pages. Bronwyn Cosgrave [former features editor of British Vogue] reveals the true and inspiring character of the super petite yet immensely strong-willed and talented fashion legend Coco Chanel.

Astonishingly, it took about 150 hours of manual labour to create the classic strictly haute couture Chanel suit before ready-to-wear models were introduced in 1978. Her collections were always inspired by the people in her life and their lifestyles. As was the timeless tweed Chanel jacked that was originally inspired by the English tweed jacket her lover Bendor, Duke of Westminster wore when hunting. Coco Chanel's renowned love for jewellery was born when her previous lover Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich showered her with precious jewels, including some of those from his only possession at that time, which were the Romanov jewels. 

Pavlovich also introduced Coco Chanel to Ernest Beaux, the perfumer who created her signature scent N'5. Interestingly enough to create the iconic Chanel N'5 fragrance Coco Chanel originally invested £40,000 [today's equivalent of US $1,000,000] that were left to her in Boy Capel's will, allegedly her one and only true love. Even a lipstick shade has been named after Boy in the memory of their love. On Sunday 10 January 1971, Gabrielle Coco Chanel passed away at the age of 87 at The Ritz where she lived out of convenience. "Her final words to her assistants Lilou and Francois were prescient: 'No nonsense after I'm dead, because I'll still be there beside you in another dimension." Almost half a century later her legacy lives on...

"Fashion has two purposes: comfort and love. Beauty comes when fashion succeeds." 
Coco Chanel


LOVE

Friday 21 February 2014

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil Review!

"A world-wide bestselling cleanser with one sold every 10 seconds."


Hey Beauty Lovers! I have read so many great reviews for this cleanser and decided it was time to give it a go! DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is one of their skincare best-sellers. It's an interesting olive oil-based formula, which transforms from oil to milky liquid when it comes in contact with water. It almost melts and dissolves make-up and even waterproof-mascara, balances skin oils, and leaves skin feeling super soft but not greasy. It's great for oily skin as it doesn't add any oiliness but makes the skin feel balanced and fresh. Pump the cleanser a couple of times into dry hands and massage it onto the dry face to make sure to dissolve all the impurities and then rinse with water. And now DHC is available at Fenwick of Bond Street!

LOVE

Thursday 20 February 2014

Clarins Instant Concealer Review!



Hey Beauty Lovers! I discovered a new concealer that is great for under the eyes. Under my eyes I like a lightweight concealer that also has good coverage to conceal darkness. Clarins Instant Concealer has a beautifully smoothing formula and medium to full coverage. It does a great job concealing dark circles and also brightens the under eye area decreasing the look of tiered eyes. I really love the texture, it has that silicone base feeling, which makes it glide beautifully on the skin. The shade I'm wearing is 01, which is yellowy-beige. A little goes a long way, use this concealer sparingly as it is super pigmented and you only need a tiny dot under each eye.

LOVE

Wednesday 19 February 2014

On-Trend: Nude Nails with Butter London Boho Rock Collection!

 Butter London Trallop


 Butter London Lushington


 L to R: Butter London Trallop + Lushington


 Butter London Trallop 


 Butter London Lushington


 L to R: Butter London Lushington + Trallop




Hey Beauty Lovers! Here is a chic way to cooperate two nail trends: the nude nails + glitter! The gold glitter polkadots look super cute and subtle over a nude base. To create this look I applied two coats of Butter London Trallop, which is a gorgeous warm toned caramel nude. It's super pigmented and you have to work fast with it as it settles pretty quickly. Then with a fine artists brush I applied random small dots using Butter London Lushington, which is a fine toned-down [not over the top] gold glitter that makes a great overcoat. Both Trallop and Lushington are from the new Boho Rock Collection, which is all about Bohemian earthy and feminine shades and finishes.

LOVE

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Oliver Bonas Five Drawer Wooden Jewellery Box!









Hey Beauty Lovers! Few weeks ago I have discovered this quirky looking piece on oliverbonas.com. Originally it's a Jewellery Box but it makes a pretty cool beauty storage as well. It's got a retro feel about it, and fits perfectly into my eclectic décor. This jewellery box is wooden and has five drawers, four of which are multi coloured. It looks like the drawers are randomly stacked onto one another, I love this offset look because literally I'm all about stacking books, magazines and what not. The drawers are pretty small as you can see, but it fits 30 MAC lipsticks exactly + the super slim grey drawer makes a neat rings storage!


LOVE

Monday 17 February 2014

Baylis & Harding Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit Candle!







Hey Beauty Lovers! Today is Day 4 of LFW, and by this stage usually one starts to really feel it and you just can't wait when the last day of the Fashion Week aka Day 5 is o-v-e-r. And the next thing you know you are suddenly dealing with the PLFWT [post-lfw-trauma], which can result in all sorts of things starting with feet hurting so badly one can barely walk, over-all exhaustion, and finishing with a bedbound nasty cold. Personally I find Fashion Week to be extremely overwhelming, so as soon as Tuesday's last show is over all I can think of is coming home, kicking off the heels and having a well-deserved self-indulgent me-time!

Great skincare, relaxing music and a nice bath always do the trick. And what can set the mood better than lighting a scented candle while running a super relaxing bath. I really like this new Baylis & Harding Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit candle. It's a great affordable alternative to the good old Diptyque! The Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit is a beautifully invigorating scent, which is exactly what you need after an exhausting week of fashion.


LOVE

Saturday 15 February 2014

Clarins Extra-Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream Review!



Hey Beauty Lovers! This is the new Clarins Extra-Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream, which I have been jolly enjoying. This cleanser is suitable for all skin types including those of us that are combo/oily. Basically what it does is detoxifies the skin epidermis from the polluted urban environment that we experience daily, especially in big cities like London! It's a fabulous cleanser for those girls who are super busy yet want to look beautiful and take care of their skin. Moringa extract helps to purify the skin, while mango and Shea have nourishing properties.

This Cleansing Cream also can be used on the eyes, so it makes a great all over cleanser. I prefer using it with a muslin cloth, I begin by taking off make-up with a regular make-up remover. On the night when I need a deeper cleanse I like to wash my face with a warm muslin cloth, which helps to open the pores. Then I massage a small amount of the cleanser and then rinse it off with warm water and the muslin cloth. The muslin cloth is optional, I prefer it because it helps to exfoliate the skin further. It's the perfect way to end a log day by taking off every little trace of make-up, leaving the skin feel beautifully fresh and nourished. And the scent is lovely too!

LOVE

Friday 14 February 2014

On-Trend: V-Day Red Nails with Studs feat Estee Lauder!

 Estee Lauder Nail Lacquer in Impassioned [new shade!]






Hey Beauty Lovers! Happy V-Day to everyone, hope you are having a super lovely day with or without a beloved on your side!! These are the nails I'm wearing today, I decided to create something a little more elaborate, which for a change doesn't have hearts or love written all over it... So I embellished the nailpolish I had on from last night and went for this tribal look. To create this look I applied two coats of the new Estee Lauder Nail Lacquer shade Impassioned, which is a super beautiful orangey coral red. I'm totally obsessed with this nailpolish shade, if you only buy one nailpolish this month make it this one!! Then I applied Cheeky silver triangle studs in this on-trend tribal manner. Et Voilà!


LOVE