Thursday, 7 February 2013

Brief break

Moved flat yaaaaay!
But I don't have the Internet :(



So many posts lined up and potentially videos :))))


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, 28 January 2013

Ruby Woo!


Ruby Woo is one of those colours, one that everyone has, wants or at the very least has tried at one point or another. For me it is my go-to item if I need a bit of pizzazz. It’s a multi-tasking dream and i wouldn’t be without it. My old favourite was ‘Port Red’ but as I’ve grown older and that because unavailable, my tastes changed.
 

The reason i love this so much is because if how many ways i can use it. I’m naturally very pale and my hair is very dark, yet I don’t always have a lot of pigmentation in my lips, so it’s difficult to avoid the walking dead look (love that programme!) So I pick this sucker up.

 

How much do i love thee? Let me count the ways
Bold with Stone

Stain
 

1.       As a Bold lip. Its matte so beware, it can be drying and it can make your lips look smaller, which i for one do not need. To combat this I scrub my lips lightly with Lush’s Bubblegum Scrub, add a slick of lip balm and apply some Stone Lip liner by MAC just round the edges of my lips. Please remember to blend, we’re not cruising back onto the 90s guys

2.        The after effect of having this lipstick on is a stain, which is a bonus because I love stains anyway. My man gets a bit moany if i wear bold lipstick because naturally he doesn’t want anything to do with it, but with a stain we’re both cheering for the same team! I get my stain and he gets smooches if I want a stain for the day time i just lightly press some colour in with my finger and et voila!

3.       Blush! Sometime sin winter my usual cream blushes look a little shy. They don’t have the punch of colour I’m after. Add a little bit of this near the apples and your face look instantly warmer and it brightens my whole look. Be very cautious though, with it being matte it’s hard to erase a mistake, add some liquid/cream highlighter to freshen up the look and to add luminosity.

Ohhhh Ruby Woo, you have bowled me over

Friday, 25 January 2013

Lash Loving



Lashes! For me they’re the ultimate factor to giving me confidence. I know that most people say skin, but I really need my lashes to look before i was look and myself and think ‘yes, that’ll do pig’ (bit of a Babe reference there). I feel like if i have a bit of a bad skin day, i have a box full of things that can cover spots or lumps and bumps and redness, i don’t have anything that can repair my lashes. 
For me the worst culprit for destroying my lashes is false ones and my laziness. I don’t wear strip lashes, I’ve seen 12 year olds wear them better than me! They never look ‘right’. 
I’m not going to lie; I’m a lazy mare when it comes to removing makeup! I can spend forever putting it on, but ask me to take it off when all i want to do is cuddle up to the Mr and watch some Dexter, and I probably flip you a birdie. I’m a picker, a notorious picker, i will pull them clusters off and be done with, only to give myself a little sigh and a head shake of disappointment in the morning when I see that I have a gap in my lash line. For example, works Christmas party, i had only been there for 2 months and I wanted to look different and wow! For me that means carefully apply some lipstick, fill in those browns and add some fakes. As per usually 2 days later I was still wearing said falsies and my natural lashes had stuck to them like cement,! Being as impatient as I am, I didn’t soak my lashes in Makeup remover I just pulled. So there i was, 5 minutes of pulling lead to weeks of recovery...seriously weeks! My hair takes an age to grow, so think of my poor lashes. So i had to jump into action ASAP, unfortunately i had done this before, so i was prepared.
Products required: Rapid lash, L’Oreal lash serum, Mac Prep and Prime and olive oil. 
Rapid lash was mainly for when my lashes had started to come back, it’s a wonder product! I get mine off of a highly rated ebayer for £20ish. It’s well worth the money, just drag it across you lash line like eyeliner (on a clean product free face) and leave it, within 4 weeks you’ll start seeing results! My eyelashes are naturally long, but if I do the full course they touch my eyebrows, MY EYEBROWS! I had to do a mini trim (naughty me) because it was insane. 
L’Oreal’s Serum is for instant conditioning and strengthening, i don’t use it on my lash line as Rapid Lash is there, but I do coat it on like a mascara and in the morning wash it off, it leaves my lashes feeling stronger and silkier! When i want some extra help I use some olive oil, just as a mini treatment, do not get in your eyes! It’s not painful...just really really annoying.
MACs Prep and Prime Lash if for under my mascara, until i find something as good, i use waterproof mascara, its rubbish to get off! Absolute pain. But with this underneath it’s so much easier! And it’s helping my lashes that little bit in the mean time.
Love your lashes, treat them right and they’ll be glorious in no time!
 
Kat xxx

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

My Everyday Work Makeup




Bonjour!
Todays post is my everyday makeup. Generally people say ''ooh mine changes from day to day'', mine doesn't really, i'm only going to the office. My foundatin changes when i can afford it to and my mascara combinations but other then that these are my tried and true products!




Mascaras and Curler
I always always always start with these, i dont like curling my lashes after i've put my foundation on as i dont like making a mark in my freshly layed cement. I always use my Shu Uemura eyelash curlers, but i'm pretty damn keen on the MAC version too, no eyelash ripping or awkward bends in my lashes.
L'oreal Telescopic in carbon black and the False Lash version in waterproof! i do have other mascaras, such as the Benefit 'They're Real' and the new Clinique High Impact, but they didn't make the cut recently. However i am trialing the old High Impact and YSL's Shocking mascara, stay tuned for thoughts.

Serum and Foundation/brush

I always use the winter months as an excuse to get my skin prepared for summer, to do this i am using Origins Dr Weil - Mega Bright Serum. Used sparingly this is delicious. i don't usually use alot of serums, just my Estee lauder one at night, but this i feel actually works. Plus it feels really nice under my foundation and prvides a soft surface for my base to glide on.
The gliding process is aided by my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. No streaks, no hassle and great fr pushing foundation into any areas that need that little bit more coverage (for me its next to my nose, the top of my mouth and sometimes my chin)
The foundation of choice is YSL's Le Teit Touche Eclat. I thought i would be the palest one, so i went ahead and got the B10, recently i was actually matched to B20 - Get me being all tanned and glorious...kinda. Some days i feel super pale but i just mix the two. I love the glow it gives me in winter, usually i press and roll my powder all down the centre of my face and then i leave the rest depending on how much coverage i want. I wouldnt say this is light/medium buildable coverage!

Powder
My choice is Chanel Poudre Univerelle Libre in  20 Clair - Translucent 1. wow, mouthful!
This is the lightest one they have, they have translucent 1 and 2 (which is weird seeing as its translucent) and its a beauty. I use the puff that it comes with and press and rollll, i used to just sweep on but with all the skin bumps i'm getting and rosy cheeks, i need the coverage and flawless look. If i want a lighter dusting i just use the Real Techniques Blush Brush to dust it over.
I do own MAC studio fix powder (I think everyone has at some time or other) and it just settled into my laughter lines and under my eyes, not what i was after at 22 years old! so for now this is perfect.

Concealer

I use 2, i recently saw a youtube beauty guru so the same thing so i believe that makes it acceptable. I use Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection, the lightest one is just for nder my eyes a little, the centre of my forehead and the tops of my cheek bones. I use Deep 4 to contour under my cheeks when i'm not feeling like using a powder ontop, as sometimes it feels like my entire face is powder,
I do LOVE Bobbi Browns Corrector in Porecelain Peach, but for some reason i haven't reached for it lately. Its the perfect size for slipping in your handbag, virtually negates the need for a cncealer and really freshens your look, i was very dubious about buying it but man am i grateful i did!

Blush and Bronzer/Contour

Just a nice creamy one for winter MACs Ladyblush applied with a Real Techniques Stippling Brush. it really adds some Life and a really nice healthy appearence to my look. Not really much else to say about that little fella.
Benefit Hoola i use as either a very light bronzer or a beautiful contour when used with a light hand. I always use my Real Techniques Contour Brush and blend the edges with whatever is left on my foundation brush. Don't apply to much, you will look muddy! especially us pale ladies, hollaaaa

Eyebrows

Currently u use Mac Fling and Mac Lingering if my eyebrows are looking a little mehhh. If i have it with me i use MAC wedge instead f the Lingering and i apply it with 206 angled MAC brush. The only time i use the powder is if i'm making more of an effort, say at the weekends, and i want a strong shape. Both are beautiful pencils, i do have Shu Uemra's Hard Pencil, but i view that as more of a summer pencil.
Next up, my night products including Serums, skin renewing night creams and what i use on my lashes
xxx

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Shu uemura bb cream review

I wouldn't say I'm the greatest at buying a foundation or BB cream and sticking to it, if I love something I'm lucky if I stick to it for more then a couple of weeks? Then boredom ensues.

We're all guilty of it! I dare you to look in your makeup Drawers and tell me there's less then 2 foundations in there! Double dip dare you!

Now, may I introduce Shu Uemura's BB cream.



This is one little blighter I will stick with! And here is why... It's a guilt free item, I can wear alone at weekends or under a light foundation for that extra smack of coverage that sometimes we need. Unlike the Garnier one, it doesn't go patchy and it smells delightful. After trying the Garnier and the l'oreal version i was a little put off BB creams as I love a bit of coverage and I don't like it being overly watery or hard to blend, this is neither and I love it.

Heres a nifty little (bad quality) before and after just to give you a little insight ( or after and before it seems ) .










I've pulled prettier faces..i promise. Yes my skin isn't bad, but goodbye uneven skintone :)

The downside is this set me back around £29 but for the tiny amount I use, I would do it again . I am naturally very fair, this jut fits (avoid if you're porcelain to the max or a tanned mama). I would go and ask for a match first, it says that I melts into your skin tone but I don't exactly trust that.

This is my 'hey look at my prancing around all skin confident' kinda base. Mix it with your favourite matte foundation and the glow is amazing. Give it a chance guys, don't give up on BB creams.

Monday, 21 January 2013

A Few of my Faithfuls

We all have those products that we absolutely NEEEED in our lives! Here are but a few of mine, bare in mind that i have many items that halp me in many ways, but i need to spread this shit out.

Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara



 

Oh Hey there baby gurllll.
 

Mascaras that have alot of hype about them usually make me suspicious, Mainly for the geneeral factor that they don't ever work for me like they do for everyone else. Granted i need my trusty waterproof layer underneath, but this gives beautiful definition whilst thickening the little suckers out! definitely buildable (which is a must for me, hot damn i like my mascara thick). I would genuinely recommened this to anyone
 
 
Origins Super Spot Remover
 

This is beautiful! Not only is it a decent price and lasts a suuuuppaaa long time, but it doesnt crack my skin. My skin is usually dehydrated (damn my disgust for drinking water) so when i put spot treatments on my skin just dries more and cracks. This stings a little when you put it on, but then i can't feel a thing! It then appears to seal itself over the spot, kinda like Bonjela is meant to i guess :/ and it makes the spot look ridonculously better in the morning! HAZAAAAAAA
 
 
Origins Drink Up Intensive
 
 
Come to meee!! hen my skin is being homormonal and i need to crack on a good supply of spot treatment, i use this as an apology to my skin. i really do abuse my skin sometimes, but we're all guilty of that at one time or another. I smooth this on at night, especially round my nose where it gets expecially dry (and dare i say super flaky) and in the morning it feels amazing! I don't usually spend alot of money on skincare, but i definitely never regret my Origins purchases.
 
 
Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre -  Translucent 1
 
 
When i want good coverage but i don't want ALOT of foundation, i use this with the pat and roll technique. My my it looks good, even if i do say so myself! i do like the coverage that MAC studio fix powder gives, but it settles in my laughter lines and just looks pahhhhh. This is my second purchase and although i do have a mini heart attack every time i tentatively hand over my card, i never regret it.
 
 
Shu Uemurs BB Perfector
 
 
This was a spare of the moment purchase, i got along with one of the sales ladies really ell and i felt guilty for not getting anything. Apparently this is a recent release? If you have pale skin then this is a beauty! only comes in one shades but i would be VERY careful. It has a nice medium coverage and is easily buildable. I feel less guilty earing makeup at the weekend if i have this on, i get to feel confident AND treat my skin...kinda. It smells good, looks god and wears well.
 
I'm a very happy bunny if these are in my travel bag
 
xxx
 
 
 


Elephant lashes




I suffer from elephant lashes, yea that are long but good god do they droop. When I droop I mean it! Substantial wilting goes on.

The only thing I have found to help are these little beauties. Rah rag rag Cheryl Cole uses the black one, I know I know, but that doesn't sway me. The waterproof one for me is a must! It's the only thing that will grip that curl into submission and make my lashes stand to attention! Then I add the carbon black one for depth. Usually I add a volume sing one too, but for some that may be a step too far.

Go big or go home!

Here's how my lashes look with 1 layer of each


Startled deer look going on, but you get where I'm going with this. Not bad for old droopy eh!?

my preference is the false lash telescopic in waterproof over the usual l'oreal one, I prefer the separation and then the carbon one can add the beef!

Later I may let you in on my fave volumising suckers


Xxx