Makeup Trends for Summer 2010

Hi, lovelies! I hope you're all well and gearing up for Summer!

Apologies for my absence - I've been recuperating at home, thoroughly enjoying my Easter break by doing absolutely nothing after an insanely busy term! Summer is now almost upon us and I've put together a little trend report for you guys, based on what was hot and heavy on the runways!

Pastel Eyes: Pull out your pastels for the summer, baby! This summer the eyes are all about light, cool pastel shades - think baby pink, icy blue, lilac, spring green! No need to get too technical or creative with the looks... a soft wash over the lid is all you need! Its really all about the colours... go as light or bright as you dare!



Turquoise Liner: Another eye look favourited on the runways - turquoise lined eyes! Don't be shy now - we're talking straight-up, piercing, bright TURQUOISE! With this look though, its best to be minimal... let the liner be the focus of the face and keep everything else subtle and soft, as shown below.

Rosy Cheeks: This is probably the easiest trend to follow and will likely be the most popular. Get a flushed, rosy glow on your cheeks by sweeping on some bright pink powder blush or blending a cream blush with your fingers. Keep the blush wayyy high up on the cheekbones though - lower down or on the apples of the cheeks is too old-fashioned!

Extreme Lashes: For the more daring fashionistas amongst you, here's a real bold trend! This summer the eyelashes are going to the extreme...put on some falsies for in-your-face lash power, or even just pull out that clumpy mascara you never use and apply copiously to mimic the false lash effect! Editor's tip: holding the mascara wand vertical instead of horizontal will really help to achieve this thick, clumpy, look-at-my-fierce-lashes look! Put on as many as 3 coats!

A word of advice: when it comes to following trends you must must must rememer two things - less is more and be yourself.

Follow one trend at a time... if you go out with crazy lashes, bright eyeliner, icy blue eyeshadow and bright cheeks you WILL look like a freakshow. I promise. Take my word for it. So take on one trend at a time and wear it well!

Secondly, dont blindly follow and mimic the makeup you see on the runway - runway makeup is meant to be exaggerated, its worn by models and created my leading international makeup artists. Take from the runway looks the essence of the trend and then make it your own... if you cant pull off the pastels, that's fine, either tone it down till it works or opt for another trend which suits your face and personality better. You'll look much better if you're genuinely comfortable and happy with your appearance!

Happy Summer 2010! Stay beautiful!

x

All images courtesy of www.elle.com.

My Holy Grail Foundation: Chanel Vitalumiere

In the beauty world, Holy Grail (HG) is used to refer to a product that epitomises absolute perfection, everything that you could possibly look for in a product.

Once you find your HG anything (foundation, mascara, concealer, etc etc) you DON'T let it go.

So far, I had only found my HG concealer - the Bobbi Brown corrector in Peach (those of you who have read my "3 makeup things I can't live without" post will know how much I adore it)...

Until... about a month ago while browsing in the House of Fraser cosmetics department on Oxford Street, I decided to pop over to Chanel and try the "Lumiere" range of foundations. Now these include ProLumiere (for the professional look), LiftLumiere (to reduce signs of ageing), MatLumiere (to give a matte finish) and the original - VitaLumiere!




After a quick discussion with the lovely Chanel artist about my skintype, what kind of coverage I'm looking for, etc we decided that VitaLumiere was the way to go. Ten minutes of patch testing later I had found my perfect colour - 20 (also referred to as Clair or Cameo). She applied it all over my face and when I turned to look at the mirror, love happened.

The Vitalumiere had given my face just the right amount of coverage, yet still remaining true to its satin finish. What this translates into in layman's terms is that it evens your skin out wonderfully, and gives it, WAIT FOR IT, that PERFECT ALWAYS-SOUGHT-AFTER GLOWY SKIN look!

Not too matte, not too greasy - just the perfect dewy, my-skin-has-always-been healthy-and-I-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day glow! I could go on and on...

Its reasonably priced, too. You get 30mls for around 30 pounds - the same price you pay for Bobbi Brown or MAC foundations and this is more of a high-end brand than those!

I thought I should include a picture of myself wearing it - this is from my birthday last Saturday. I'm so pleased it comes out looking lovely in pictures too. If you can see the glow around my eyebrows, on my nose and the higher points of my cheek, that just shows you what a dewy finish it has. Yet not over-the-top glowy to make me look greasy!

A word to the wise - if you have problem skin or acne, spots, etc, I suggest you try ProLumiere because VitaLumiere won't give you enough coverage. But if, like me, you have mostly decent skin with a few irregularities here and there, you'll love this.

So there you have it - my HG foundation: the Chanel Vitalumiere!

Has it won over the hearts of anyone else out there?

x

Skincare Reviews: Neutrogena scrub & Loreal moisturiser!

Hey my fellow makeup addicts!

For me, the discovery of good skincare products is cause for celebration enough to justify a little dance in the middle of my room. I guess that's just because I've tried so many products and been disappointed more often than I'd have liked!

Recently I've been using a new facial scrub and moisturiser that seem to be working out pretty well for me so here's a mini review on each!


Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Scrub: this is such an awesome product to kick start your day with... it has a really energising, refreshing minty smell that instantly wakens the senses and when using it my skin felt kinda tingly and cool, as though I was lathering mint all over it. I will say that the name puzzles me a bit because this scrub didn't really foam at all... but other than that (and that really wasn't a huge deal for me at all) I'm really impressed.

After using this my skin felt really fresh, alive and super squeaky clean down to every last pore! Yet it didn't feel stripped or dry or tight... it was still soft and supple, just very clean and fresh. I'm totally won over by this scrub!



Loreal Paris Triple Active Day Multi-Protection Moisturiser: Phew... it takes me as long to say the name as it does to use this product! :P This is from the Loreal Dermo-Expertise line, for those of you interested, and the packaging promises protection, hydration and radiance. The main features of the moisturiser are Vitamin E, Ceramide and it's UV filter.

When I first scooped this cream out of the jar, the texture made me think "uh oh, this is going to be thick, greasy and Nivea-like!" but then I applied and blended it into my skin and I was thinking "whoa... what just happened!" because this is a very lightweight moisturiser that sinks quite comfortably into your skin.

Now I will say this: if you live in London or elsewhere with a cold and dry climate, this probably won't work for you unless you really lather it on which will result in going through the jar fairly quickly. But if you live in a warmer, humid climate this is an EXCELLENT moisturiser to invest in.

I know that whenever I'm back home my dilemma is - no moisturiser hence skin dry OR moisturiser but skin greasy in 30 minutes?

Protection - yes! Hydration - certainly! Radiance - not so much...



So have you tried either of these products? Loved it? Hated it? Let us know!

x

IMATS Haul - Reviews, Swatches, Photos

Hello, makeup addicts! I hope you're all well!

So I've put off doing the IMATS haul post for ages (yes I know!) simply because I decided to give you a review as well... and I need to use things for a certain period of time to be able to give you a not-rubbish review on them ;)

Without further ado... presenting, my IMATS haul!

1) MAKEUP DESIGNORY (MUD): This was my first experience with MUD and I'm very pleased. I got 12 eyeshadows for £25 which is RIDICULOUSLY cheap and they threw in the empty eyeshadow palette for FREE! Now thats a bargain... The eyeshadows themselves (as the swatches show) are beautifully pigmented, shimmery, easy to apply and a pleasure to blend. I highly recommend MUD!

If you look real close, I've written colour names on top of the eyeshadows!

And swatches to back my claims...

Visit http://www.makeupdesignory.com/ for more information - they ship worldwide!

2) OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS (OCC): I also picked up two pigments from OCC randomly, just because I wanted to try out the brand! Im pleased to report that these pigments are AMAZINGLY pigmented - the colours are just incredibly rich and complex (as opposed to a flat gold or a flat white). These cost me £5 a piece which is again incredibly reasonable since you get sooo much product!

Visit http://www.occmakeup.com/ to try these, and try their amazing Lip Tars as well! Im dying to get my hands on those, Ive heard so much about them!

3) ROYAL AND LANGNICKEL: I also picked up a mixing palette for when I use all these pigments wet - so handy! And, believe it or not, £1!

4) NAKED COSMETICS: I'm a bit on the fence about these... 18 of these cost me a whopping £60! Now they apply beautifully when wet, and so-so when dry... is that enough to justify the cost? Im still struggling with that one. The colours are beautiful though, and I doubt I'll ever finish these in one lifetime... (self-consolation? yes? no? maybe?)

Naked Cosmetics pigments come in sets of 6...

5)CROWN BRUSH: This is definitely the stall where I spent the most money and saved the most money! I spent between £60-70 here but if I had bought that many brushes from MAC or Bobbi Brown, I would have ended up spending a good £800-900! I INSIST that everyone visit http://www.crownbrush.co.uk/ immediately! They have such a wide range of products that there's bound to be something that you'll like... their brushes are of incredible quality, soft, good quality handles, no shedding, etc. I dont think I can ever justify buying a MAC brush again!

That's all, folks! As usual, if you have any questions, fire away in the comments below!

x

FTC disclaimer: I bought all of the above with my own money unless specificed, I'm not associated with any of these brands and this review contains honest, impartial opinions!

Requested: The Basic Makeup Kit

Hello my lovelies! I hope you're all well, and I hope everyone had a lovely and eventful Valentines day! =) I was requested by a follower of the blog, the lovely Nida, to do a post on a basic makeup kit, something that one could start with and then build up as you become more and more of an addict ;)

So I've compiled a list of the most basic things that I feel should be in everyone's makeup bag. I've mostly used MAC products as examples because I feel that MAC is a universally popular brand but if you want brand specific recommendations or cheaper alternatives for a particular thing, just leave a comment and I'll definitely get back to you!

And, yes, I really do feel that these are things NO woman should be without...

1. Concealer/Corrector: This is one thing that I feel every single person out there can benefit from, it just makes a HUGE difference. Use concealer if your undereye circles aren't too dark, and corrector if they are really severe. If you're using a concealer I would recommend any formulation by MAC. If you're using a corrector, Bobbi Browns correctors are the best thing EVER made.

2. Foundation/Tinted Moisurizer: I would recommend a liquid foundation because it goes on beautifully and gives the skin a glowy look which powder just doesnt do. If your skintone is mostly alright (not many blemishes, uneven colouring, etc) go for a light to medium coverage. Otherwise, use a full coverage foundation. Again, MAC and Bobbi Brown have amazing liquid foundations - you cant go wrong.

3. Powder: I highly recommend getting a pressed or loose powder which you can use to set your concealer and foundation - this is essential to getting your makeup to stay on. MAC's Mineralise Skinfinish Natural is AMAZING (it can also be used alone for a really light foundationy look) otherwise they also do a loose setting powder which goes on translucent. I would personally recommend a pressed powder for beginners because loose powders can be a bit difficult to handle.

4. Eyeshadow: I would say invest in some basic neutrals - blacks, browns, skintone colours, highlight colours... Definitely have a look at some pre-made palettes because you get great value for money and lots of shades in one palette. You will probably find a good neutral palette by most brands! But MUST HAVES are black, dark brown, your skin tone colour and colours a couple of shades darker and lighter than your skintone!

5. Eyeliner: I would say have one basic black or dark brown (try them both out and see which looks better - black is more strong, brown looks subtle) pencil, and one liquid/gel formula as well. Gels are much easier to work with, in my opinion, check out MAC's Fluidlines.

6. Mascara: I would recommend a natural mascara for day wear (MAC Plush Lash) and a more dramatic one for night time (MAC Zoom Lash).

7. Blush: Opt for powder... much more workable. For daytime, have a nice soft baby pink/rose pink (the pink can be cool or warm depending on whether you're cool toned or warm toned). Examples are MAC Blushbaby and MAC Dollymix. For night time, go for something with shimmer, like MAC Springsheen. Cool skinned beauties will find that pinks look better on them, and warm skinned beauties will find that corals and bronzes suit them better!

8. Lip stuff: Have one lip pencil which is the exact same colour of your lips (MAC Spice or Subculture seem to work for South Asian women). As far as lipsticks and lipglosses go, play around! Get your basic pinks and browns ofcourse, but see if you like something else too.

So there you go... but remember, the abovementioned colour and tone recommendations are just rules of thumb and RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN! ;) So while this is a nice bunch of stuff to start your kit off with, you can always experiment with colours and see what works for you!

Check this out to get some ideas for a basic brush kit...

http://sana-ansari.blogspot.com/2009/11/brushes-101.html

Happy belated Valentines, lovelies!

x

IMATS LONDON 2010!

Hello my lovelies!!!

I was lucky enough to attend the London IMATS 2010 show and I'm so, so excited and happy to share my experience and pictures with you! IMATS is the International Makeup Artist Trade Show which is held annually in 5 cities across the world. Among the makeup fraternity, its just referred to as "the show" which gives you an idea of what a huge deal it is!

IMATS brings together makeup artists, students, lovers, sellers, buyers and everyone in between! There are great makeup brands selling goods at discounted prices, makeup competitions, lectures and seminars by leading makeup artists from the industry and just the chance to meet and talk to people who share the passion!

So rather than bore you with more words, Im going to tell my IMATS story through pictures! Click on a picture to enlarge.

Welcome to IMATS!


It was insanely busy... even at ten in the morning...

The makeup students, hard at work creating their masterpieces for the student competition...

I was lucky enough to meet the famous Koren of EnKore Makeup!

The AMAZING Crown Brush stall...

The extremely pretty (but extremely overpriced) Yaby Cosmetics!

Makeup Forever! Which I sadly wasnt tempted by at all...

I believe this was the Makeup Artist Provisions stall... that's all foundation and concealers!

More Crown Brush goodness...

The Alcone stall!

Naked Cosmetics! Aren't their pigments LUSCIOUS?!

And ofcourse, Illamasqua cosmetics!

Tom Savini!!! THE GOD of special effects and prosthetics makeup!

More Crown Brush... I just couldnt get enough!

Many makeup stalls had live models to demonstrate face and body painting...

The Makeup Museum - I loved this exhibit because it really opened my eyes to how much you can do with makeup. Its not just about the pretty. Infact the pictures below arent about the pretty at all!

I hope you enjoyed this! Im going to be putting up my IMATS Haul post next!

Sneak preview of the haul post: IM BROKE.

Till then, lovelies!

x