Bronzed Summer Beauty Look with Clarins Splendours Collection!

I was meaning to write about the beautiful Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact and Splendours Colour Quartet & Liner Eye Palette [both are Limited Edition from the Summer 2013 Collection] for a while. Some of you already might have seen my Instagram pics of the more natural look I wore at first and the slightly more smokey eye that I'm wearing in these pics! I thought the first look I created didn't showcase this eyeshadow palette beautifully enough, so I then created a more smokey look that features the true bronzed summer beauty look! The packaging is stunning, like something straight out of Da Vinci Code, really intricate and decadent.

For this look I have used the eyeliner and the eyeshadows [all accept the nude shade in the bottom right]. To make a bronzy eye make-up look more intense I used MAC Paint Pot in Constructivist as a base. Then I applied the copper shade [top left] all over the lid, and the brown [bottom left] just in the outer v, for more depth but you can still see the copper eyeshadow beautifully coming through. The lightest shade I used as the highlighter on the brow-bone, and the eyeliner [a dark matte brown] I applied over the top lash line, and lower blending it a little with both the brown and copper, also applying the eyeliner on the waterline [I used the angle brush that comes in the palette]. This eyeliner has a smooth texture, so you can smudge it and blend it before it sets, it stays put!

And then of course to finish off the classic bronzed summer look I contoured my cheeks with the Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact, taking it on the temples, cheeks, and also where the sun hits. The shimmery centre I prefer to apply separately with a finger as with a brush the rest of the matte bronzer gets mixed with the shimmers, which you may not necessarily want. So I just dab my finger into it and then gently apply it just over the cheek-bone, for the glowy highlighted effect. Both the bronzer and eyeshadow palette are perfect for a natural summer look, that creates enough warmth for a glowy pretty look.

LOVE

40 Years of Colour & Culture at Cosmetics a la Carte Exhibition!

Hey beauties! I am super excited to share with you an exhibition pre-opening event I went to yesterday, Cosmetics a la Carte is celebrating 40th anniversary this year and they have put together a Colour & Culture exhibition to share the history of the brand. So if you are a beauty junkie and you are in London this week you should definitely check this exhibit out, it's a beauty heaven! This exhibition opens today and will run till 26th of May. The Gallery where this exhibit is taking place is on 50 Redchurch St in Shoreditch, if you are not from London you should definitely check it out, it's the heart of trendy London. Shoreditch is an experience in its own right, with lots of hipster-esque urban culture and street-art.

I have discovered Cosmetics a la Carte last year and have been hooked ever since. The colours of the eyeshadows are pretty unique, and I also love their lip products and bases. In fact I will be doing a bold on trend summer look for you soon to showcase the stunningly daring shades! In London Cosmetics a la Carte products are only available at the London Boutique in Knightsbridge,  and on www.alacartelondon.com hence perhaps why so very few people know about this great brand that definitely deserves more attention!

LOVE

My Haircare Routine + Styling Tips & Tricks!

Hey beauties, this is the look I wore today for the A La Carte 40th Anniversary event in Shoreditch, which I will blog about tmr as the exhibit will run from 22-26th of May - and if you are a beauty junkie like myself then I think you should really check it out! As it was my lucky hair-day today and a hair blogpost was requested a few times on Instagram I decided it's perfect time to share what I do to my hair, what products I use and how I style it! First of all I shall point out that my hair is very naughty and mischievous, it certainly does not behave perfectly every day... My hair is fine and has an oily roots and dry ends tendency, it's straight but not stick straight, it has a light wave to it. Naturally it's a [very] dark ash blonde, and I get highlights done about twice or three times a year. I have found an amazing colourist at my local Trevor Sorbie salon, next time I see him I will ask if that's ok to share his info and will do a separate blogpost. Now get yourself a nice big cup of tea or coffee as this will be one long blogpost!

Before I went to Trevor Sorbie, I tried pretty much all the salons in Hampstead. I am very particular with how a salon should be and how I feel about it, and I find that Trevor Sorbie suits me perfectly, the people working there, the hairstylists and stuff are really cool, so I am finally happy to have found a salon that is on the same wavelength. Having said that I am not someone who will be making monthly appointments, no no no. I literally get to a hairsalon few times a year. I like my hair to have a life on its own in-between the salon visits. I like the roots to grow out and get grungy [within reason], I don't like my hair looking the same all the time. 

That of course means I trim my own fringe, in fact I had no idea how hard it is to find someone professional who knows how to do it properly, so off I went to Boots and got a pair of professional scissors... Also I do trim the ends, which is a good thing to do if you want to keep your hair looking healthy, even if you just take off half an inch. In fact I was once told it's good to do that once a month at least. I'm not too anal about it, like I said I just let it grow and get wild.

Something I have realised over the years is that my hair definitely looks much better if I wash it in the evening, style it and then sleep on it, which may sounds odd, but it works! If I am too tiered to wash my hair before going to bed, and do it next morning - I know I will have bun-worthy hair for the next few days, it just ends up looking frizzy, then flat, and fringe is all over the place. I am also very against washing my hair daily, I actually think it damages the hair, and makes it only get oilier at the roots the more you fondle with it. I wash my hair about three times a week, and style it once and forget about it until it needs a wash, I don't do anything to it in-between washes. 

Another trick I have learned works on my hair brilliantly is to not brushing it between washes. So it only gets brushed after I wash it when it's still damp, I love the Tangle Teezer, it's a-mazing for long hair I have no idea how I lived without it before!! And then when I blow dry my hair I brush it out with the big round Trevor Sorbie brush. And that is it, literally! The idea of brushing dry hair makes me cringe, it brakes the hair, makes it frizzy, and on top of that makes the scalp very greasy, so no, my hair started looking a lot healthier and thicker when I stopped brushing [about ten years ago, yes!].

Now onto hairproducts, I make sure to have a few shampoos and conditioners at hand, and rotate them all the time. My hair reacts better if I use say a volumising shampoo and conditioner one day, then next time switch to a colour correcting, and then a softening. I have stopped using the cheap shampoos looong time ago, recently I decided to try the good old Pantene Pro-V and absolutely hated it, so now I strictly wash my make-up brushes with it and bath my cat, they haven't complained.....

Here are the haircare products I am really enjoying currently [for the past few months]: 

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo & Conditioner - great all time products. John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Tone-Correcting Shampoo - I used this one every couple of weeks, it's one of those purple shampoos and a must-have if you have blonde highlights! Together with it I use John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Moisturising Conditioner - them together are great if I need a lift, makes blonde hair look shiny and fresh again, almost as if you had new highlights done!

Redken All Soft Shampoo & Conditioner - been trying these out, and really loving them, full review coming soon! I actually washed my hair with these two product last night, really makes my hair super soft, yet stays in shape. And finally Bumble and bumble Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner - this range is great for when my hair is feeling and looking really limp and flat. In terms of hair masks, at the moment I'm loving the Redken All Soft Heavy Cream and Percy & Reed Superglossing Mask - I do them few times a month.

Now then, styling products! I also rotate and mix them up depending on how my hair is feeling. But lately I've been enjoying John Frieda Luxurious Volume Fine To Full Blow-Out Spray, Lee Stafford Volumising Mousse and Sea Salt Spray, Redken All Soft Supple Touch, Percy & Reed Bodifying Cream and Volumising No Oil Oil. And finally not really a styling product but something I would really recommend to anyone with long hair is the Phyto Secret de Nuit, lovely hydrating regenerating night treatment for dry ends.

And finally just in case you wonder what I actually used last night to style my hair with: 

After washing my hair and brushing it through with the Tangle Teezer I always twist it up in one of those towel-turbans, forgot to mention, doing this gets the moisture out of your hair, so by the time [say in 20-30 mins] I am ready to blow-dry, my hair won't need too much heat. Then I applied about five pumps of the Redken All Soft Supple Touch softening cream-spray for dry/brittle hair into my palm and then applied it onto mid-lenghts and ends. Then Lee Stafford Volumizing Mousse mainly into the roots and mid-lenghts. Followed by Lee Stafford Sea Salt Spray, this is great for that beach babe look and a bit of texture. And finally never forget a heat spray, currently I am using Toni&Guy Prep Heat Protection Mist. And then I start blow-drying my hair until it's 90% dry, then I used the Trevor Sorbie medium big round brush just doing the top two sections at the back and on the sides. Hope this helps!

LOVE

New Launch: Alessandro International Striplac Peel-Off Nailpolish UK Event!

Just two thin coats of Crazy Lazy looked perfect!

The lovely Karen! Thanks for inviting me to the Alessandro International Striplac event! x

It was nice meeting the lovely Britta who is the Alessandro International brand representative, 

we had a lovely chat and she shared all the exciting Alessandro International nailpolish news!

Woohoo, 99 shades of the regular Alessandro International nailpolish range!

If you follow my Instagram [alyonainfashionlove] you would have seen some of the images from the Alessandro International event I went to over a week ago. It was a nailpolish extravaganza, amazing products, loved every second of it! Had a bit of a crazy week since then, but finally here I am sitting at my desk and ready to share my Striplac peel-off nailpolish excitement with you! So let's go... The quality of Striplac is excellent! Basically Striplac looks like gel but is a nailpolish, which is super easy, quick and hassle-free to apply, looks professionally done, lasts amazingly, and comes off in seconds leaving you with healthy looking nails! Hence why it's called Striplac, it's the world-first technology that enables you to strip the nailpolish off in one piece, which doesn't damage the nails in the slightest! Hooray!!
 

The regular Alessandro International nailpolish range comes in 99 shades, at the minute Striplac comes in 24 shades from the regular range. But eventually Striplac will also come in all of the 99 shades, which will be pretty a-mazing as the variety of the shades is awesome, from stunning classic shades to more fun and on-trend colours. Speaking of which, I chose the shade 61 Crazy Lazy, which is a beautiful sapphire blue, as soon as I applied it I was obsessed! Striplac dries hard in just 60 seconds under the LED lamp resulting in a super glossy finish, that doesn't chip for 10 days!! As you can see when I peeled it off it still looked perfect after five days! The Starter Kit includes: LED lamp, Peel-Off nailpolish in Classic Red, Peel-Off Base & Top Coat, Cleansing Pads, 4-way multifunctional file, cuticle trimmer - at £119.95 and each separate Peel-Off nailpolish is £15.95. Available from May 2013 at: www.alessandro-international.co.uk

Since I only did one nail on one hand in such a striking colour I wore it for five days before I took it off. It still looked perfect after five days, so it would easily last 10 days. Of course you don't have to wear it for 10 days if you want to change up the colour, but you have the option to have perfect nails for 10 days if you wish! It wore beautifully, it really looked professionally done and perfect! I have done that nail myself, it was very easy, you don't have to be a professional and I loved it immediately. The way you take it off is by lightly easing the edges off your nailplate and then gently and slowly peel the nailpolish off, my nail underneath Striplac looked healthy just as it did before applying Striplac. Striplac is great for anyone who likes to do their nails once in a while and forget about them, they will look perfect till the day you take them off. Equally I'd do Striplac for holidays, that way you get your nails done at home before leaving and don't have to schlep any nail products with you while you are away.

LOVE

New Launch: RealTechniques Duo-Fiber Collection, Limited Edition!

Hello Beauties! Although I it is quite late and I am pretty tiered I couldn't have possibly gone to bed with the idea of not sharing with you the excitement for these awesome brushes!! If you are into beauty you will know [or will soon discover] that even the most expensive make-up just won't look the same if applied with wrong or bad tools, that's a fact. And good make-up brushes tend to be astronomically expensive, just one brush will often cost the price of a beautiful eye-palette. I usually don't like mentioning prices of the products I review, but I will make an exception this time! This set of three brushes is just £23.99, which is the price of just one middle range brush!! I can honestly tell you I'd much rather spend my money on a stunning eyeshadow palette than on a super expensive brush! 

And this is why I really love RealTechniques brushes in general, they are fantastic quality and really affordable!! Sam [Samantha Chapman] did an amazing job once again, creating this Duo-Fiber Collection. This collection will be available at UK Boots stores on May 20th and it's Limited Edition so I assume it will sell out pretty fast! The good news is, it will be available for a year, so you'll still have time to get it! 

But here is why I am so excited about this collection, today I tried the Duo-Fiber Face Brush when applying a bronzer and OMG(!) - the brush is so smooth, just like a kittens paw. It picked up the product beautifully, making it go on very light and sheer, which means it gives you the most natural flawless finish, of course you can quickly build up the pigmentation if you wish. This collection also featured the Duo-Fiber Contour Brush [awesome for blush, highlighter or contour] and Duo-Fiber Eye Brush [great for under the eye area, to blend eyeshadow, or highlighting the brow-bone]. A clear case of Love!

LOVE

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence!

This is something I wanted to try for ages, all the trusted beauty bloggers and Youtube beauty gurus always refer to this product as holy water, literally! SK-II Facial Treatment Essence contains over 90% of pure Pitera that helps to restore skin's vitality. Pitera is a magical ingredient that is found in all SK-II skincare products, but it is especially concentrated in this essence! Pitera is a blend of vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids, which helps to promote the natural 28 day skin cell renewal process. Hence why not a drop of this holy essence should be wasted, I shake about half a teaspoon of this precious liquid into my palm as recommended and then massage it straight into cleansed skin, the goodness of this essence is absorbed instantly. I find it makes my skin look a lot clearer and smoother. The essence should be used daily to keep skin moisturised and radiant.

LOVE

A Smokey Fiery Copper and Black Eye Make-Up Look!

This palette reminds me so much of a stunning summer's sunset! Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio in OR 302 is not new and also isn't limited edition, this palette is part of the permanent line, I have looked at it a few times before but thought that the silver and black shade is a little too daring even for me. But this palette should definitely be in your collection! In the look that I am wearing I used the black and the copper orange shades. Although I am a huge fan of copper eyeshadows, and have quite a few I don't have anything like this beautiful fiery orange satin shade. Also to find a good black eyeshadow isn't that easy hence why so often we get put off or scared by black eyeshadow shades. This black shade is equally beautiful, it goes on very smooth and no fall out, it also has the satin finish, so it's very bendable and a joy to apply.

For this look I applied the black eyeshadow just on the lid looking straight ahead and only what's left on the brush [a sheer wash of colour] onto the crease line, with the fiery copper shade I went over the crease line. Also mixing the two shades I applied them under the lower-lashline, taking an intense black eye kohl into the waterline and over the upper lashes, smudging it slightly and blending with the black eyeshadow for a softer look. This palette would look beautiful on all eyes, but if you have blue or grey eyes it's a must have!

LOVE

OPI Japanese Rose Garden!

This nailpolish is so hard to photograph, it's one of those shades that look completely different with flash! But I love it so much I decided to go ahead anyway and use these pics. To see it in daylight [mostly in the bottle] check out my Instagram: alyonainfashionlove. Ages ago I set eyes on OPI Japanese Rose Garden, but somehow drifted away from it. And last week I came across someone on Instgragram wearing this nailpolish and I thought 'That's it, I got to have it!' In the pics here it looks quite bright, but in reality it's a very chic tawny pink with a pretty sheen!

LOVE

Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Mask - Great Fix for Dehydrated Skin!

I recommended this Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Mask to my aunt who's got very dry skin type, we got it together when we went on a fun beauty/skincare shopping trip to Harrods. As a disclaimer I will mention that she is not into skincare or make-up in general so her skin tends to react to a lot of things, even mascaras... I couldn't repeat enough how important skincare is, and that you should start looking after your skin in mid to late 20s - skincare should be treated as a preventative rather than a magical cure! Her skin is very sensitive as it is not used to any active ingredients, so she ended up having a reaction [burning sensation] even from this product which actually is very soothing, so she gave it to me. 

I finally came around to try it last weekend! Last Friday I went to a family birthday dinner and had a few glasses of wine, approaching my 30s I find that my skin reacts quickly to dehydration, so next morning I woke up looking like my skin needed some extra love and care! I had absolutely no reaction towards this facial, in fact I found it incredibly soothing. It's a cooling gel like texture that you apply thinly on cleansed face, and either leave it for 10 minutes as a quick fix or leave it over night for a deep treatment. I have a combo and acne prone skin type which I am in control of now, but my skin started to get dehydrated on occasions. Acne prone skin is also sensitive to a lot of ingredients and can break out easily, but my skin reacted very well to this product, no breakouts at all!

Hyaluronic acid is fantastic for dehydrated skin as it plumps and injects moisture smoothing fine wrinkles and lines. This facial is also fantastic for a long flight, as the skin always gets so dehydrated. Dragon's Blood reduces redness with anti-oxidant benefits whilst Gransil smoothes imperfections for a firmer and flawless complexion. Dragon's Blood complex is a unique and potent Tree Sap extract which, when combined with Rodial's potent formulas, offer unrivalled benefits for anti-oxidant, soothing and anti-irritation properties. 

A Tip for extremely dehydrated and sensitive skin types: If your skin is super dehydrated and you are someone who somehow never indulged into great skincare before, then chances are that your skin will be very fragile and react to a lot of things. I started getting into skincare few years ago, and in the beginning I found a light irritation or burning sensation from a lot of serums and gentle creams, but then I started taking great care of my skin, having a regular skincare routine etc. So if you are new to exfoliators or any types of acids, start slowly, and in a way try to train your skin, apply the product for a few minutes and then gradually leave it on for longer. Also prior anything start moisturising, daily, day and night, use deep hydrating serums and moisturisers on top to intensify the result and only then advance to exfoliators and acids.

LOVE