Festive makeup

It's Festive season, so time to stock up on some easy makeup ideas. 

For the 12 days of Xmas I'll do a different party look each day.

  

- Office to party, this takes less than 30 mins to achieve and the main products are high street buys from Superdrug/boots and 1 luxury item from http://goo.gl/VEPNXl

  

Bourjois little pot matron glacé 25 - only £6.99 http://goo.gl/zyW564

Harlotte temptress £23  http://goo.gl/SKlCb6

Max factor excess shimmer 25 bronze -£8.99 http://goo.gl/U4zTto

My little box

There are loads of these beauty surprise boxes going about. I decided to try "My Little Box" which is based in Paris. Basically you pay £11 per month plus p&p, so it works out for me £13 per month. The products inside are said to be worth £65.  So each month a little box of beauty and fashion surprises arrive for you. It contains 2 full sized beauty products one of which is from their own beauty brand "My Little Beauty Brand", a travel sized product and some fashion and lifestyle accessories. 

I had my first box about 2 weeks ago. It was the DVF box. 

Although I did like my first box, I'm not sure on their own beauty range. I'm going to do about 4 boxes and then decide if its a keeper. 

This is an extreme hold spray, -just what I need living with Ireland's climate. Extreme hold for both controlled volume or radically structured styles it works both ways! An ultra-sensorial formula which basically means it guarantees great shine and provides a powerful anti-humidity shield. I basically just applied this hairspray in a halo onto dry hair for best results. 

 

The "Eau Micellaire" cleanser is from  "My Little Beauty", it's a face and eye cleanser which is very gentle in the skin. I thought this was just OK as my skin felt a little tight after I used it, so basically I wouldn't buy it again. It's made with Aloe Vera

L'Occitane vanilla hand cream in a mini size which wont last very long! Being a makeup artist my hands are constantly being washed therefore they feel a little like an old pair of cowboys boots at times and are even more dry now in winter, so this will be great to keep in my bag and use on the go. Plus cant beat the gorgeous smell.

Made to nourish and protect your skin. Rich in 10% shea butter, this hand care, with its light melting texture, helps sooth and hydrate hands. 

Now onto my favourite item, my DVF scarf.  This is a specially designed scarf for my little box and subscribers either receive it in a green, black or red which is the one i got. The scarf is made from a silk imitation 100% polyester. In the envelope there is lots of little illustrations by the awesome illustrator Kanako showing you different ways to wear your DVF. You can view more of these really cool illustrations here 

http://www.mariebastille.com/Kanako/html/kanako07.html  

Love, love, love this scarf 

I will review to other boxes in the next few weeks so you's can decide yourself if you want to give it a go. Check out their webpage below.

http://www.foreveramber.co.uk/2014/10/little-box-diane-von-furstenberg.html

The Era of the eyebrow

It is the Era of the eyebrow, but does your brow shape flatter your face. Like think of it this way, you'd go to an experience hair stylist and that experienced hair stylist doesn't knock out one hair style to suit everyone. Well. The same goes for the brows, use an experienced beauty therapist and she will groom your brows to suit your face shape. Therefore this will flatter your good features and soften your not so good features.

OVAL

The perfect face shape

-Face gracefully tapers towards chin

 -wider forehead

-prominent cheekbones

-an ideal face shape

Eyebrow solutions 

GOAL: is to maintain this overall face shape

SOLUTION: is to work with a soft angled eyebrow. This is best to maintain the oval shape

LONG

-face gracefully tapers down towards chin area

-elongated feature from forehead to chin

-some have a more prominent chin

Eyebrow solutions 

GOAL: to make your face shape appear shorter 

SOLUTION: is a flat eyebrow shape. its horizontal view would change the viewers perception and change how they see the elongated face, making it appear shorter. 

ROUND

-face width and length almost the same 

-widest at the cheek area

Eyebrow solutions 

GOAL: to make the rounded head appear longer

SOLUTION: a high arch is need with the brows. Its up and down lines would draw the viewers eye up and down and lengthens it. It then creates a more vertical line. Avoid rounded brows, obviously  

SQUARE

-the forehead ,cheekbones and jawline are almost the same width 

-square and bony jawline is the prominent feature

Eyebrow solutions 

GOAL: To soften and balance the strong jaw features

SOLUTION: Depending on the kind of jawline start with the curved eyebrow shape then add more and more angle to it to create some sort of balance. The stronger and more bony jawline is the more angled brow shape. A defined shape peak at the top will make it appear longer.

HEART

-face strong and tapered towards chin

-chin tends to be pointy 

-forehead is usually a prominent feature of the face 

Eyebrow solutions 

GOAL: to soften and balance the strong pointed chin area and also the prominent forehead

SOLUTION: forehead will usually be the widest on area on the face. Depending how prominent the forehead, start with a low arch and round brows then add more volume to it as will add more length to the forehead and well as balancing out the chin area. 

DIAMOND 

-face highly angular and somewhat bony

-widest at temples 

-not as common compared to other face shapes 

Eyebrow solutions 

GOAL: to soften the whole face and make the widest portion less wide

SOLUTION: a curved eyebrow shape. Its curves will soften the angled face and reduce the widest area which is the temples. 

Victoria's Secret

Last week the annual strut of the Victoria's Secret Glamozions took place. 

I know they are selling underwear but who really cares about their million pound bra & knicker combos, all we care about is how do they manage to look like super humans compared to the likes of us mere mortals. 

Jesus! They even made super cute Ariana Grande looked like someone you'd find in the fast food section in castle court.

The clan of Victoria Secrets Angels done their annual strut this year in London's Earl Court. They flew from the USA in a pink private jet including Karlie Kloss, Candice Swanepoel, Lily Donaldson, Lily Aldridge and Adriana Lima

Each of this years designs were made by Mouawad jewellers using 16k rubies, diamonds & sapphires, all of which where strung together with 18 carrot gold. The ornate ensembles took the designers more than 1380 hours to make. The girls have to be super strong to carry the heavy wings down the runway. 

 Radiant, glowing skin took centre stage with the angels trademark flushed cheeks. Eyes where kept to a minimum with a little highlighter in the middle, with pouting highlighted pink natural lips and lashings of mascara, the perfect goddess look. 

The usual bed head sexy tousled waves that screams I woke up like this. There's nothing sexier than looking like its minimum effort to look this good. Love this look 

As usual the angels where bronzed goddesses, head to toe perfectly bronzed highlighted bodies.

 

 Check out my blog later today for all the products and techniques to achieve this look. 

Dating 101

So what are the dating rules in 2014? With hot or not websites being the norm, I think the single gals future could be looking pretty bleak.  I'm sure some of us have indulged in a little "flick to the left,  flick to the right even if it plays on our conscience but it's the world we live in and you have to move with the times or be left at home with your 3 chihuahuas and two cats :0 

So if you have tried a little online dating just for a treat like I do - a computer game,  flick left, left, left and right, win! Congratulations you have been deemed successful for sexual pursuit ....Then turn it off.

Most of us are selfie kings and queens so take a hot selfie and you're a cert but that hot selfie will only get his foot in the door. So I've compiled a list of dating rules that maybe we haven't had the balls to follow in the past.

1. LIVES WITH HIS PARENTS

He's over 28 and lives with his mum and it's likely that he doesn't have much ambition in life, if this doesn't hugely dwindle his erotic appeal, then there's no hope for YOU, never mind him. 

2.JEALOUSLY 

OK a little jealousy is cute, means he's into you. But, when another man crossing your field of vision turns him into something crossed between Gordon Ramsey & Oscar Pistorius, well enough said just stick that one on the back burner.

3.PERSONAL STYLE 

It's hard for us gals not to sound like superficial biatches here!

Like ... "I don't mind what he's wearing" said no female EVER. After all a little self awareness is all we request. 

• Put it away lads, and I think I'm speaking here for 99% of the female population, v-neck tshirts that not only have his cleavage on display but also his navel should never have been brought to the high street, especially not the  Lurgan high street. 

• Boot cut jeans are for cowboys, body warmers are for lumberjacks, gym wear are for gym users only

• A few selective tattoos are attractive whats not attractive is if he bears resemblance to a child's coloring book. 

• Crosshatch jeans are just a no-no, cause first it will be the jeans, then it's Caterpillar boots, then it's an ankle bracelet and then you'll be visiting him every second week in Maghaberry. 

4. MUMMYS BOY

I agree having respect for his mother is essential but if he's still still on the tit or possibly bathing with her, then there should be no further investigation needed.

5.HAS A PAY AS YOU GO 

Drug dealer, pimp or under 16 in this day and age who hasn't got a contract phone 

6.CONVICTIONS

Preferably no major convictions, no threat to homeland security. Petty crime may be overlooked, (well we live in Lurgan FFS). 

7.TABLE MANNERS 

If you're on a date with a man and he starts chowing down like he hasn't ate from the 90's, excuse yourself from the table, calmly walk to the bathroom, squeeze yourself out of the window and run to the nearest taxi.

 8.OVERALL BAD TEETH

Apart from the fact - you'll never get past it, If you feel the need to throw a mint into his mouth while he's still talking then just forget about it. 

Yes, I know it all sounds a little superficial but it's the gods honest truth and you know it. 

So, here is a few rules I was advised not to include if I ever wanted a boyfriend again. 

9.NEVER DATE A PERSONAL TRAINER 

I'm not stereotyping PT's, and that's an abbreviation for Personal Trainer - just incase you didn't know that. 

Ok, apart from the fact they are (or they think they are) supreme beings that exist on a diet of protein shakes, kale with an extra large helping of self praise. 

You'll have to forget about that 2pm kebab, he probably won't drink as much as you so he will do a whole autopsy of your night out the morning after of the shit you ate and talked. No self-respecting female wants to know how they rolled up a 12"pizza and downed it in record time after a bottle of rose and 12 shots. He's likely to yap on about squats, good fats, some girls amazing body, your core and more shit like that. But on the pulse side he will have an amazing body! 

IF HE SAYS HE WILL CALL AT A CERTAIN TIME AND HE DOES'NT!

Ok unless he has  encountered a f%#king emergency, then call when you say you will call, so we can ignore it and pretend we have more important things to be getting on with. 

10. NON-PRESCRIPTION GLASSES 

I may not be Einstein but if they have plastic glass in them then the simplest evaluation would suggest that they are fake . Therefore, You don't look intelligent you just look like a dick who's wearing glasses that doesn't need them. And yes, we can tell.

11.POOR HYGIENE

It's a no-go if your thinking to yourself "a shower won't cut it here, he'll have to be decontaminated"

It's 2014, there is a little shop called Tesco, where you will find Tesco value soap & deodorant. So no man should go unwashed. 

12. DRINKING 

Last but not least, never date anyone that drinks more than you, there is only room for one alcoholic in this relationship mate.

So in the future I promise to follow these rules as I have realised that I have a gift for choosing guys with mental problems which I would prefer to avoid. 

Anyways, do a  background check, don't be ashamed of scouring every possible online avenue before deciding to date him. Like honestly who has the self control not to do a background check, google is there so utilize it. 

And last but not least Sharing a drink doesn't mean your exclusive! 

Fuck I'll never get a date again after this.

Lip Plumper's

Every thin lipped female has been going crazy for over the counter products that promise bigger, sexier more voluptuous lips.....but, do they deliver? 

Well yes a lot of these products do seem to work, (temporarily that is)

Now we have heard all the rumours of what scary ingredients & formulas are hiding in these products. From bee & snake venom to chilli peppers.

So how do they actually work? 

Most look like your normal lip gloss, tinted or clear gel but its the irritant in them that makes them work so well. The irritant in the product boosts blood flow to the lips, leading to mild swelling and redness.

The swelling of the lips look fuller in a more natural way, giving you a temporary enhancement lasting a few hours. 

So what does it feel like and is it sore? 

Depending on the strength of your product it can feel from a mild tingle, something like pins and needles on your lips to a strong burning stingy sensation like that of a nettle sting that some people find uncomfortable. Always check the products strength before you buy it. If your a beginner I suggest obviously starting with a weaker one and leaving the painful ones to the more experienced lip plumper. 

What is the best brand? 

All the collagen dependant gals will be so excited about this. 

Well, I've tried a lot of lip plumpers! My favourite in terms of how big the lips go and how long it works has to be " lip voltage" by Dreamweave.

 It's a non injectable lip plumper  and it's taking the indsutry by storm!Celebrities are all over this, Dreamweave has most definitely launched their  most exciting and unique product yet!

You actually have the choice of 3 degrees of voltage. 

A syringe comes with the kit, you use this to add  the VBE* - infused mix up into the peptide lip voltage treatment 

Add your desired amount of mix, you can see from the pic below the 3 stages of lip voltage 

Myself, being the avid lip plumper went straight to 0.3ml very hot tingle, which is not for the faint hearted as my lips where actually quite on fire, felt a little like I was sucking on a chilli.  

The results are amazing though 

So a little pain (which passes in 10mins) is well worth the super plumped lips 

The effects Last s about 3hrs 

Love, love, love this product!

The following 2 images are from b4 I applied the "Lip Voltage". Try and ignore my fluffy lip, swear it's not like that in real life. 

 20 mins from application my lips are visibly more plumped and the results last for hours. 

It's a great product, just don't kiss anyone with it!

Where to buy 

 MG Hair Boutique & Male Grooming 

153e Union street, Lurgan, bt668ef 

02838325543

Or 

Tomakeyougorgeous.co.uk 

 priced at £15

Product Review - Eleni

I was given this amazing skin care range Eleni to try and it has actually blown me away. 

Before my review I'll just give you a little background information on the Eleni range.

So, What is Eleni?

Eleni originated from South Africa and is the result of 25 years of dedicated research into various skin conditions.

Why is Eleni so special? 

Eleni created truly effective lipsomal skincare treatments that nourish, protect and restore the skin.

But what are Liposomes ?

Liposomes deliver peptides, herbal extracts and antioxidants to the deeper layers of the skin. This basically means the liposomes get all the goodies into the deeper layers of the skin, leaving you looking plumper, younger and healthier. 

So, I'm just at the end of my trial with the five little tester pots, and I'm sure I've mentioned once or twice (possibly 200 times before), my skin is super sensitive! So therefore I was just a little reluctant about trying another new range but thankfully my over sensitive dermis responded exceptionally well to the products, so, to say I'm impressed is an understatement. 

I obviously have my favorites like in any range but I'll just give you a little run through the retail products I reviewed. 

Blemishless cream £22

A few days before my period is due every month without fail I have a mild breakout, last week was an exceptionally bad breakout. I was again a little hesitant to try a breakout cream as any I have tried in the past have tried my skin out rather than help the spots to heal. So I used the cream for 2 consecutive nights.

I was completely Blemish less by the next day. Perfect not even a bit of dry skin, just clear clean and smooth. 

Eye contour soothing cream  £35

I started using eye cream when I was 26, I just love the rich feeling of it on my eyes especially before I sleep. This is a rich cream, it is soo refreshing on the eyes, hydrating, moisturising and soothing especially around the sensitive eye area. Loved it. 

Facial deep cleanse £25

I love a good cleanser, and with the amount of make-up I play about with during the day I need something that works, and I found this in the "facial deep cleanse". The best way I think to apply this cleanser is, dampen the face with warm water and gently massage the cleanser into the skin, then simply wash it off. 

Mild stabilising moisturiser 29

The moisturiser has a velvety finish on the skin. I found when massaged into my skin it was left feeling calmed, moistened and smoothed a perfect base for applying make-up. If I can use this on my sensitive skin anyone can use it so I think it would be perfect for all skin types. 

Re constructive serum £39

I found with this anti ageing serum it did react a little to my skin but I wouldn't let that put you off, though I would recommended this product to someone with a combination even an oily skin. I just found for my super dry and sensitive skin if I was going to use it every day it was a little too reactive for me and I would end up with  an over sensitive face.  

Now available on our online store here ->  http://goo.gl/QDu9Us and in store

The Tan Commandments

Summer is a distant memory and if you are like myself and are unlikely to catch any rays until Easter, ( I know what a dismal thought) then you'll be back to applying tan, then tan detox, then apply tan, tan detox and so on. 

I love a little glow throughout the winter it hides my blue/greyish Celtic skin tone, so here are some tips on how to achieve the perfect tan, more like a little sun kissed rather than looking like you've rolled around in a bag of Doritos. 

     1. Thou shall always choose a tan that suits your skin tone

It's winter, so less is more. Try to stick to gradual tan or a tanning gel, which will leave a more subtle tone.

2. Thou shall not ever Ever tan without a mitt

Yes a mitt,  not an ex foliation glove, sounds so obvious but,  A friend of mine made this ludicrous tanning error.  The mitt will Not only enhance the results and leave you streak free but it you will save your palms form the dreaded orange look.

3. Thou shall not leave any area untouched

It doesn't matter if you go over an area a few times as it won 't go patchy, but leave an area without tan then expect to have the streaky bacon effect. 

4. Thou shall always put moisturiser on hands and feet and then apply tan

I know this sounds a little daunting but, moisturising the skin on the hands and feet directly before applying tan might look messy initially - the next morning when you wash it off you will have the perfectly blended tan 

5. Thou shall never leave tan on longer than the recommended development time

I just don't get it when girls insist on leaving their tan on till the next day, believing that it will get darker well it doesn't make the tan any darker, it just makes you look dirtier for longer. If you want to have a darker tan then do another application the following day... Simples 

6. Thou shall not shave the day of your tan 

This will leave you with with a nasty rash and when your tan develops it will look like your covered in tiny black dots... Not a good look 

7. Do moisture daily to make your tan last 

This will ensure your tan lasts and also it will prevent you from looking like you have leprosy on the third day.

8. Thou shall never spray deodorant or perfume on a tanned area

The alcohol in the perfume & deodorant will make the tan turn green and a green neck or pits is not very attractive. 

9. Do rub ice cubes over your face to seal your pores before face tanning. 

A personal favourite for myself as I've saucer-like pores, if I apply tan straight to my face it looks like I have a mass of blackheads the next day. So rubbing an ice cube over my face and then putting a little moisturiser on before I apply the tan leaves me with a authentic looking tan. 

10. Exfoilate, Exfoilate and Exfoilate some more 

Exfoliation is the keys to a flawless tan, it's all in the prep work. Removing the dead skin will leave you with  fresh, soft, smooth skin. The tan will glide on better and therefore develop more evenly. 

Here are some of my favourite lighter tans 

Xen tan - gradual tan transform luxe £18
http://goo.gl/N5fXCU

Xen tan - gel £18.74
http://goo.gl/l5weNp

Creme de la mer - face and body gradual tan £65 
http://goo.gl/VT1TI7

St Tropez - classic tanning mousse £22.45
http://goo.gl/LNSciq

Madame la la - £36
goo.gl/KII2li

How now brown cow - £19
http://goo.gl/0Ip4KJ