Get rid of frizz! Enjoy smooth and silky hair!

I’ve tried every shampoo and conditioner under the sun, from the ones found in the supermarket to high-end salon  products and serums.  All in an attempt to contain my raging hair with its fried split ends…!

Although I was previously a die-hard Aussie user ( 90% because of its amazing smell) I have since been converted to…….you’ll never have guessed it, TRESseme!

I have long dark brown hair, which is naturally very thick and coarse.  Under the heat of GHDs it can become just  about manageable but leaving it naturally to dry is an absolute no-no.  It kinks and frizzes and no type of conditioner can really tame it.

The closest I’ve found to making it silky is TRESemme’s smooth and silky with vitamin H and silk proteins.  It smoothens and conditions without weighing my hair down.  Its also got a big easy-to-use pump bottle.  It’s also got a gorgeous fresh smell to it.

It still doesn’t get the kinks out of my hair, but at least the frizz is gone.  I also love that fact it doesn’t cost a  fortune…especially because I get through a good 500mls every month! I never knew it took so little to have gorgeous, manageable and affordable hair.

Have you guys tried it? What do you reckon?

Orgasm, Deep Throat and Sin, NARS’s products that will make you blush!

Its not just the racey names of NARS’s collection of 27 blushes which gets people talking, but their astonishing array of colours.  The blushes are all highly pigmentated so there is no need for touch-ups during the day.  They blend flawlessly and suit every skin tone.

All come packaged in a slim matt finish flat case, which is shaped perfectly so that product can be used until the best of all is shaped so that your blush can be loaded up,  and the product can be used the very end (unlike Benefit’s beautifully but impractically packaged blushes) easily until the very end.

Here are my top three favorite colours especially chosen for pale, olive and darker complexions.

SIN by NARS

Complexion reccomendation – for chestnut / blonde girls with light skin and blue / gray eyes. This blush is perfect for girls with cool colour tones  in their complexion.

Sin is best suited towards the pale / cool skin tone range, this blush comes in a delicious berry tone with a golden shimmer.  The plum/berry glow transforms lighten skin tones providing contrast and adding warmth.  Don’t be put off by the mauvish colour in the pan, once on your skin it becomes lighter and more pink hued.

The nature of the hues in this blush add a sophisticated look to your makeup, and the slight shimmer will add a glow to your cheeks. This blusher is best teemed with grey smokey eyes, keeping the tones of your make up cool.  Another positive is that like ‘Deep Throat’ the shimmer is finely milled so won’t make you look too sparkley.

The negative- use a light hand with this blush, otherwise you may risk purple tones – a little product goes a long way!

 MATA HARI by NARS

Complexion Recommendation – for girls with a medium complexion.  Universally perfect for blondes, brunettes and red heads!  Also great for Asian girls.

MATA HARA is a striking, bright candy  pink which though looks intimidating gives a nice health and awake flush of rosey pink.  This shade is easier to wear than ‘Desire’ which can sometimes look too 80’s.

This vibrant and fresh blush gives a very beautiful natural flush to the cheeks and has something girly about it which I just love. It blends best into warm skin tones as it blends in to give a healthy glow.  Unlike most of the NARS blushers, this blush is shimmer free so can be built up as much as you like or accented with a blush highlighter.

The negative – stay away if you have very pale skin as it may wash you out.

DEEP THROAT by NARS

Complexion Recommendation – for brunette girls with dark eyes and skin, the golden hues and subtle pink with perfectly suit your complexion.

Deep Throat is suited towards slightly darker, olive skin tones and is a pretty peachey pink with subtle shimmer. This blusher brightens the face without it looking artificial and gives a natural glow to your skin.

The subtle shimmer adds luminosity to the skin without you ending up looking like a disco ball, even if you load the product up on your brush.  This beats the accoladed ‘Orgasm’ as though similar in colour it is much sheerer, and without so much shimmer, this providing a much more natural highlight

A definite must for olive skinned ladies who want to enhance their natural beauty by adding a peachy glow to the cheeks with this naturally toned blush.

Negatives – the embarrassing name!

Application – 

Thanks to the shape of the pan, any brush can access the powder.  Though, be sure to stay away from large brown brushes, otherwise you won’t achieve the accuracy needed to highlight your cheekbones.

I would reccomend Bobbi Brown’s Blush Brush which works wonders with NARS blushes as it is absolutely goof-proof and applies blush smoothly and precisely with hardly any  fall out.  It has a luxuriously soft and natural feel that glides the product onto your cheeks.

So go ahead, try out one of these vibrant and naughty shades! They don’t disappoint!

Pretty pink pout this Autumn!

Autumns coming and what I love most about this month is its intense colour pallet. Yes, pulling off those deep plums and mauves can be a bit daunting, so if you’re not quite ready why not opt for a daring shocking pink which just oozes confidence and feminineness.

YSL have a gorgeous new range, which is just bursting with different shades of pink.   Not only are they long lasting but all have a delicious fruity flavours.   They can be worn alone, or, for a more striking look on top of lipstick.  Remember to choose a lipstick which is a slightly paler shade than the gloss otherwise when the gloss wears off the contrasting colour difference will be too obvious.

What to team with a pretty pink pout? With such a strong beauty statement as a pink pout, keep the rest of your make up minimal with perhaps just a flick of mascara to open up your eyes.

A lip primer works wonders for keeping a daring lip gloss in place and prolonging its wear. Mac’s Prep and Prime  not only improves the look of lip products but lightly moisturizes lips preventing them from drying out and chapping.

Choosing the right foundation

For me,  when I go and buy a new foundation its a risk.  A heart stopping, panicky risk.  Waiting to try it on at home is like waiting for your number to come up on the roulette wheel.  Rarely, its one of those life changing  ‘can’t live without it’ miracle foundations.  Usually, I just think ‘Why did I waste all that money on something that makes me look orange and greasy!?’.  Here are some tips on choosing a foundation and review on my favorite foundation.

Tips on buying foundation

• Don’t try the colour out on your hand! It’s a completely different colour and texture to your face.
• Choose two colours.  One closest to your natural skin tone and one slightly darker. Going lighter will wash you out.
• Try the makeup on your jawline – and make sure your make up free when you do it otherwise you won’t see the real coverage
• Be careful with foundations with a ‘pink tinge’.  These can make you look very red.  Better to choose a more yellow shade and build warmth with a blusher or bronzer.
• Don’t buy it immediately, wait until you get home and see how it looks.  It will always look good in the shop, and the fancy packaging will lure you in.  It will be worth looking two-toned for an afternoon if it means finding your dream foundation
• Don’t buy a foundation which is more than two shades darker than your natural colour. It’ll be much harder to blend into your neck and the difference will be too obvious.

My personal favorite foundation (and believe me I’ve tried a lot!)

This foundation is perfect for all skin types. Benefit’s Play Sticks. Very little of the product can completely transform your face.  It provides a light coverage giving a beautiful natural look but can also be built up in order to cover those red areas or bags under the eyes.  It leaves no greasy residue and lasts for months.  Foundation is always a tricky one as often it can leave you looking orange or greasy but this light stick foundation really is one of those ‘miracle products’  that just works. The only negative I have to add is that there are few shades to choose from, especially for people with darker skin tones.  Oh, and it’s pretty pricey at £25.50 so definitely try and get it at the airport.

After the success of this product, I went wild thinking that Benefit was some kind of godly foundation creator and bought all the other types – Some Kind of Gorgeous, Hello Flawless and You Rebel.  These were all disastrous mistakes. All of which were more like tinted moisturizer and provide little to no coverage.  They are also fairly greasy and the fluid separates easily.

Last second mascara

When you’ve only got seconds to get ready, mascara is the one piece of make-up that takes little skill, can be put on immediately and entirely transform your tired face.  And, unlike foundation, it can be done in any old light as long as you’ve got a small mirror.

But, there is some forward planning which will make this 10 second application a whole lot easier, and that involves having the right mascara and the right application technique.

Technique

1.) Always apply mascara in a zig-zag fashion from the roots upwards

2.) Apply from the inner eye to the outer eye in order to draw the eyelashes up and outwards making your eyes look bigger.

3.) If you’ve got a few more seconds, first coat the eyelashes with mascara in a downwards direction in order to coat all the lashes.  The proceed with step  1 applying mascara from the roots upwards.  This will create a thicker and more wide eyed effect.

4.)Always remember to put mascara on the bottom lashes in order to open up your eyes.

Mascara

1.)  When applying mascara in a rush, don’t use waterproof.  It’s Sods Law that when your in a rush you’ll smudge it, and if it’s waterproof it’ll be more of a hassle to get off.

2.) Go for a mascara which is black and volumising.  Both are fool-proof when in a rush.  Colours are for careful planning and coordination with clothes and accompanied make up.  Blue mascara on its own will just look frightening.

3.) Fail-safe mascaras include Benefit’s Bad Gal and Maybelline’s the falsies  .  Both cover lashes from corner to corner in seconds whilst simultaneously adding length and volume instantly.

4.) Opt for a brush rather than comb wand, as comb wands add length but little volume.

Perfect Skin

             With perfect skin, comes confidence as when your glowing on the outside it makes you glow on the inside.   In fact, with perfect skin, all you need is a lick of mascara and your out the door!  So, get ready to chuck out those cover-ups and get ready to wow the crowd!

Perfect Skin 

In the morning:

1.  Cleanse –

Using warm water and a coin sized amount of cleanser, work slowly into the skin to remove excess impurities, cosmetics and dead skin cells.

• For Oily Skin  I would recommend a clear cleanser, such as Clinique wash-away gel cleanser as not only is it soothing and cooling but it absorbs excess oils.
• For Dry Skin it is better to use a creamer cleanser, I love Kielh’s foaming Ultra facial Cleanser as its very gentle and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth without drying it out too much.
• 

2.)  Tone

This plays a crucial role in attaining perfect skin as it prevents blemishes. By unclogging the pores of the dirt that collects throughout the day, blemishes are prevented.

3.) Moisturize.

Please please don’t use the same moisturizer that you use for your body on your face.  Not only is facial moisturizer more sensitive, but it also prepares your skin – either against the natural elements or your upcoming make up routine.

• For Oily Skin, Clinique’s dramatically different moisturizing gel is light on the skin and leaves no heavy residue.  It doesn’t leave the skin greasy and tightens pores thus perfect to use as  a primer under your foundation in the morning.
• For Dry Skin Simple’s Skin Hydrating Light moisturizer  not only keeps dry skin smooth and hydrated but is also cheap and lasts a long time.

In the evening

1.) Remove make up

• With a cotton pad remove all your make up. (wipes are better for quick fixes rather than really throughly removing make up.)
•  I would recommend Lancome’s Bi-facil  as it is gentle on the skin and leaves no oily residue.  It’s a bit pricey at £21.00 but its goes a long way, and doesn’t irritate the skin.

2.) Heal blemishes

• Dab some tea tree oil onto blemishes to let them heal over night.

 

Feel good in your skin and enjoy the results of this skin care routine.