Thursday 29 May 2014

ABH Dipbrow pomade & RT miracle complexion sponge

Product review

 
 
Ok so today I am going to review two products I bought about a month ago. I wanted to test them out quite a bit before I could give an honest review.
First up

Anstasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade

I had read so many good things about this eyebrow cream that I knew I had to try it. My only issue is that it isn't stocked in any shops in the uk so I had to order mine online from www.cultbeauty.co.uk. It cost £15 and then I had to pay £3.95 for postage. It comes in 5 shades, ebony, chocolate, dark brown, auburn and blonde. After a little more research I decided on dark brown. I very nearly bought the blonde too but then removed it from my basket and just got the one colour. Much to my disappointment the blonde sold out within seconds of me removing it (I'm such a fool). Anywho I knew if it didn't suit me I could just add it to my kit for all the darker haired beauties I do makeup for.
 
 
 
This is how it came, the box is quite sleek and the product comes in a glass jar. You don't get a brush with it so make sure you have one already. 
 
 
 
This is what it looks like inside the jar. It's really creamy and to me has the same consistency as a cream liner.
A little really does go a long way with this stuff. It has amazing staying power too (one of the reasons I wanted it). It claims to be smudge proof and waterproof.............and it is.
 
I went to the Suffolk show yesterday with the husband and kids. It was an incredibly early start to get us all up and sorted ready to go for the day. The weather was meant to be a mix of rain, rain, and oh yes more rain. So I donned my waterproof mascara, eyebrows made of ABH dipbrow pomade and my Doctor Martens. With more mud and rain than I care to be around and hardly a mirror in sight I was a little worried that my brows wouldn't hold up and I would have them sliding down my face. Nearly 10 hours later and they were exactly the way they were when I painted them on.
I can safely say that this stuff holds up to the promises it makes and is worth the money.
 
 
This is a swatch from dipping the brush in just once, as you can see a little really does go quite far.
The dark brown is more of a cool toned grey brown but can be brushed in with a clean mascara wand to make it look more natural.
 
 
This is the same swatch after I tried to rub it off with a clean towel. Ok so most of it is gone but the outline is still there.
Please ignore the bags under my eyes.

 
Above is the difference between my normal brows and when they are drawn in. It looks incredibly dramatic when they are next to each other but I wanted to show the difference. I haven't used concealer under the eyebrow or set it with brow gel as can be seen in the close up shot. I wanted to show how clean it can look with a good brush.
 
 
I used a MAC 263 brush to do my brows, it's angled, soft and quite thin so I can be really precise with it.
I would recommend investing in a good brush for this stuff or it may not come out as you want it to. The pomade takes a bit of getting used to. I made the mistake of trying to use it in the same way as I would use powder to fill in my brows but they came out looking like they were drawn on with sharpies. It's a lot of trial and error to get the right look and technique for you so persevere. I found a light touch to be best and working in upward strokes to fill in the gaps.
I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it in blonde when it's back in stock. It will definitely look less harsh against my pale complexion and hopefully I can then get my husband to stop calling me angry brows.
 

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

This is going to be a short review of this product. I'm not really one for using sponges for my makeup, well not since I started using brushes instead. However I bought this as it was in a 3 for 2 offer in boots when I was getting some other things. It was bought on a whim so it stayed in the packaging for a god few weeks, but then I decided to try it out while practicing my contouring technique. I used it dry with my graftobian hd glamour cream palette. When I say dry, I mean I didn't dampen the sponge at all. I applied my contour and highlight with a brush and then used the sponge to blend it all together. I must say I wasn't all that impressed at first but carried on with it and it soon started to work it's magic. Everything blended beautifully and my face had an airbrushed look to it, I can only imagine what it will do for me if I dampen it when I next do some contour practice.
I washed it and didn't use it for a few days until I had to for my concealer. My go to brush was drying so I picked it up and used it to conceal the bags under my eyes and the various blemishes around my face.
 
 
As you can see on one end it has a point and the other is flat and at an angle. The flat side is great when putting on foundation, it glides over your face with ease. The pointed end is perfect for the those hard to reach places like around the nose and under the eye area. It is super soft and blends out cream and liquid really well. It gave my concealer an airbrushed look.
I think for £6 it is a bargain and must have for anyone who is looking for a versatile inexpensive sponge.
 
 
 

 

Monday 14 April 2014

Smokey eye Tutorial


I have been asked numerous times to do a tutorial of a smokey eye.  I decided to do a simple but effective brown smokey eye. It can be done in about 5 minutes once you get the hang of it. 
Hope you find this helpful.












The brushes from left to right are a soft fully blending brush, flat eyeshadow brush, and a small stiff domed blending brush. 


Apply your black eyeliner over your lid up to the socket. As you can see it doesn't need to be neat at all. Any black eyeliner will do.



Using your ring finger smudge the eyeliner up your lid, past the socket. The smudged liner was much darker in real life. However you can use as much or as little eyeliner as you choose.





Using a fluffy blending brush apply a shade close to your skin tone above the crease.
Blend from the inner eye to the outer edge.
This will help blend out the edges of the darker colour on the lid.


Apply a dark brown of your choice all over the lid using your flat shader brush. I used darkhorse from the naked palette. It is up to you how far past your crease (socket) you go.

Next using your domed blending brush, blend the edge of the shadow upward. You can sweep the brush back and forth over the edge gently moving upwards or I like to do small circular motions upward. I feel it blends the harsh edge out better. As said before feel free to blend up as far as you feel comfortable.

Use your eyeliner to line your bottom lash line.

Smudge it out with your finger.

Apply the same brown shade along your lower lash line.

Curl your eyelashes and apply your mascara.


 This is a much darker look in real life but for some reason the lighting I have has washed it out a lot.
If you feel you want a little bit darker then try smudging some black eyeshadow along the lash line.
This is a really easy look to achieve, it's all about blending. Tailor it to your eye shape and what you feel comfortable with. Happy blending 

Saturday 12 April 2014

Brows, brows, brows

My eyebrow routine

I have super pale eyebrows, which until a few years ago never used to bother me, then I saw the photos of me on nights out with a full face of makeup and what looked like forehead that went on for miles. This was all due to my invisible brow hairs. My makeup didn't look completely finished and so I quickly decided to start filling them in.
Hope you find this helpful
 
 
This is my au natural eyebrow
I used a stiff angles brush and a small concealer brush


 
Using my angled brush I outline my eyebrow in a matte brown shadow

 
Using the same brush and shadow, fill in the gap
 


Next using my concealer brush, I line under my brow with concealer (to neaten it up)
Blend the concealer down to get rid of the harsh line

 
Next use a brow gel to set the eyebrow. This can be clear or the same colour as you have filled your brows in with.



The finished brow above.
as you can probably tell there is a dramatic difference in both. This isn't something I do everyday but I love it for a night out. I feel it makes my makeup look finished and frames my face. If you're blessed with shapely well defined brows ignore this. However for us brow less beauties it is a necessity to master.
Please bear in mind that there are many ways to do your eyebrows, with many different gels, cream, wax, powder and pencils to use. This is just the way I do mine, so do whatever makes you comfortable.
Happy Reading

Monday 7 April 2014

Pale Foundation

When it comes to foundation, I really struggle to find one that is even close to pale enough for my skin. I'm pretty sure I spend most of my time trawling through reviews online and obsessing over what may be the best one for me. High end (or what I consider to be high end) brands seem to have the biggest shade selection. However when there is no where that stocks it in my area for me to test I feel like I am buying blind based on another online swatch. So I decided to give a review on the ones I find have tested and the ones I use.


Ok so it's probably best to start with a picture of my bare face. As you can see I have freckles, red patches and a rather less than perfect nose (not that it makes a difference to foundation). I also have combination skin, oily T-zone and normal to dryish cheek and nostril area. Oh and my biggest bugbear is that my dark circles seem to take a whole lot of product to cover up due to having a pasty complexion.




In each picture below I have foundation on the right half of my face.





I went to the urban decay counter in debenhams to try this out. It was applied to my face using their kabuki brush. I'd heard mixed reviews but was reassured by the staff at UD that this was oil free and perfect for my skin type. The colour matched perfectly too which was what I was after. I was given a tester pot to take home and try which has lasted me 2 weeks.
Pros
  • Perfect match to my skin
  • Felt weightless on 
  • Buildable coverage
  • Once set with powder, looked perfect for about 10 hours
Cons
  • Stuck to any bit of dry skin and accentuated it
  • Floral smell


I went to the clinique counter in debenhams and  asked for a sample and colour match. This is an oil free foundation that is supposed to moisturise the dry bits and dry the oily bits of your skin. It is also meant to look more natural. I loved this foundation as soon as it was on. I looked naturally flawless, which is what I like. However the problem started as soon as I left the counter, it looked a shade too dark for me in natural light and then about 20 minutes later it oxidised on my skin, leaving me looking an orange streaky mess.

Pros
  • Lightweight
  • Easy to use and blend
  • Balanced my skin perfectly
Cons

  • Oxidised making me look orange
  • Not a close enough match to my skin tone



Clinique even better liquid foundation in alabaster
I have used this foundation for years and love the fact that it evens out my complexion beautifully. However recently I noticed that I am much paler than I was a few years back (avoiding the sun, I burn like a crisp) so the shade hasn't suited me as well as it used to. It looks good on the face but doesn't quite match up to my neck in natural light.

Pros

  • Evens out all redness and patchy skin tone I have
  • Blends really well, buildable coverage
  • A little goes a very long way
  • Looks Natural
  • Lasting power is about 8 hours when set with powder
Cons
  • Not light enough for really pale skin
  • Can make your t-zone look a little oily if not set with powder




This is my go to foundation for when I need serious coverage and staying power on a night out. It's one of the lightest shades of foundation I have been able to find on the high street. It's only about £13 for a bottle and it covers everything.

Pros
  • It has medium to full coverage
  • I rarely ever need to use concealer with this foundation.
  • Good range of shades
  • Lasts for over 12 hours even through sweating




Cons
  • Smells like paint 
  • sets really quickly so not something you can easily blend out
  • Can take a few washes to get off your face







I have the graftobian glamour creme super palette in my kit for clients. It is really pigmented and looks fantastic in photos. It glides onto the skin and looks flawless. It can be pricey if you don't know which shade to get but you can buy samplers online. They have an amazing range of shades for neutral, cool and warm toned skin. this is a cream foundation.


Pros
  • Super creamy and blendable
  • A tiny bit goes a long way
  • Large range of shades
  • Can mix shades together to make the perfect colour for you
  • Looks flawless in photos
  • Can be sheered down with a damp sponge to look more natural
  • Buildable coverage
  • Great staying power once set with powder, 10 hours
Cons
  • Can be a little unsuitable to really oily skin
  • No-where to get colour matched locally
  • Have to buy your sample online

These are just some of a handful of foundations that I have reviewed. There are many more out there with a great range of shades for everyone. Out of all of them though I think I would chose the graftobian for day to day and when I know I'm going to be in photos, purely because of the way I can build it or sheer it down depending on how my skin is. I would choose the revlon for a night out time and time again because it covers everything and has serious saying power. For all the liquid foundations I used my real techniques buffing brush and for the graftobian I used my real techniques expert face brush. No primers were used under any of the foundations, just washed and moisturised skin.

If you are in doubt just go to one of the makeup counters in your local department store and ask to be colour matched and for a sample. I do it a lot because when I am spending about £30 on a foundation I want to make sure it meets all my needs, which requires day to day wear. Not a 5 minute trial.
Happy reading



















Tuesday 25 March 2014

Lacura Beauty Eyeliner review

I tend to do all of my food shopping in Aldi and every now and again I come across their Lacura Beauty Range. I've never been particularly interested before as I had so many eyeliners I forget to use half of them. However I was spurred on by my husband to buy the eyeliners they had so i could do a review and seeing as they were only £1.99 and they only had 2 colours I thought why not.



The picture on the left is what they look like in the original packaging. It was sealed with a plastic wrap (which I took off) and comes with a sharpener too, which is pretty handy for me seeing as I misplace mine pretty much all the time.

The picture on the right is of both unboxed. The colours I bought are smoke and emerald.










I swatched the pencils on my hand which you can see in the picture on the right, the greeny one is emerald which is more of a shimmery moss colour. The other is smoke and that is a shimmery dark grey. The texture of the eyeliners is similar to Urban Decays 24/7 liners. They are really creamy and easy to work with. I used them to do a winged liner a few days ago and both looked the same after 8 hours with no touch up. They didn't look as crisp as with a liquid or gel but overall pretty good going as I have quite oily lids.


As you can Probably tell from the pictures above, the liners are double ended. The pencil part is one side and they have a smudger sponge on the other which is shown in the picture. I really didn't like the smudger, it felt stiff and didn't really smudge all that well. It felt like i was trying to scrape my eyelids off if anything. However that said the liners smoked out really well with a small precision brush. It did take a lot of layering and smoking out and layering again of the liners to get the intensity i wanted but that isn't something that bothered me.



Overall I was really impressed with the quality of the pencils, really creamy texture, easy to use and £1.99 each. They are definitely a must have for any budget shopper or any makeup fan that is just starting out with liners that wants to experiment with a new look.







Saturday 22 March 2014

Makeup brushes and their uses

As this is my first ever blog post. I thought it best to start at the beginning with the tools I use for the looks I create. I'm going to do an overview of the brushes I use and what I use them for. Whilst some brushes are better at doing certain jobs than others, they are all multi-use so don't be afraid to experiment.....

Real Techniques stippling brush
I really like the real techniques brushes, they are affordable and great value. I use this brush when applying liquid or cream foundation. It's really soft and great at buffing the foundation into the skin by using circular motions. It spreads the foundation evenly and so a little goes a long way. But be careful, if you use too much product it can cause it to streak.
 Real Techniques expert face brush
 This is another staple in my collection, it can be used with most foundations but I find it works best for me when using cream. The brush fibers are really densely packed together, however it's still very soft on the skin. This brush also buffs foundation in beautifully. I use it like a flat foundation brush by sweeping foundation across the face and then buffing it in with the top.
 Makeup Geek stippling brush
 This used to be my go to brush for foundation until the real techniques ones came about. It is a much more densely packed stippling brush, it moves foundation around the face better by using circular stippling motions. It's great at building coverage because of the flat top and the size.

 Blush cosmetics large powder brush
 This is from a 30 piece set I had a few years ago. It's really big, super soft and fluffy. I mainly use it for a light dusting of powder to set my foundation, or to give a glow with bronzer. It works well with the bronzing powder because it doesn't pick up too much and has a large surface. 
 Real Techniques contour brush
 This brush is a domed fluffy blending brush, it is the right size for applying a powder contour shade. It picks up product well and makes it easy to blend out harsh lines. I also like to use it (once clean, obviously!) to apply powder highlight.
 Real Techniques setting brush
 When I bought this brush I was surprised at how small it is, however once I used it I realised why this was the case. It's perfect for under the eye when setting concealer.
Real Techniques pointed foundation brush
This brush is tiny! I didn't have the patience to use this as a foundation brush, didn't work well at all. It's quite stiff, however it's great for putting my concealer on under my eyes, which for my dark under eye circles is pretty handy. It packs on product really well.
E.l.f flat top powder brush
I was expecting this one to be like my makeup geek brush, it looked the same on the site when I bought it. Same densely packed bristles, same size and shape. How wrong I was, it's probably more similar to my large powder brush by blush cosmetics. The only difference apart from the flat top is that it can really pack on the powder when you need to seriously set foundation. You can use circular motions for a lighter touch, or for heavier application use it to push the powder onto the skin/foundation.

Obviously I have many more brushes than this but this is a good go to guide for anyone wanting to start their collection. Thanks for reading, please feel free to share this blog with your friends. Be back soon