Work Xmas party make a statement make up

Work Christmas party, one hour to get ready, make up required that will make an impression but not frighten... Cue big false lashes and neon pink lipstick!

These lashes are Katy perry eylure oh honey lashes and this was the first time I used them. They were easy to apply and stayed put all night. I had to trim these down as they are very long and I have long eyes so you might feel like your chopping away a few dirhams!

I was generally impressed with these lashes but I was v disappointed with the white lash line - why? I had to cover with a lot if black liquid liner. And also the fact that these were destroyed when I took them off and no chance of reuse. 

The lippie was one of my faves: Barry m number 62. 

Festive looks

So it's nearly Christmas woop! So I thought I'd pull together my favourite festive faces to inspire you over the next few days...

Gold glitter eyelashes - wow! 

Silver eyeliner and pink stained lips.

Festive berry red eyeshadow.

Glitter ball eyes.... Merry Christmas! 

Product review: Smashbox fuchsia flash matte lipstick

Well, let me start by saying this is the most epic lipstick I have ever had. Seriously. I'm an addict.

I have been lamenting the loss of my Sleek Amped lippie since leaving it behind at Sandance earlier in the year (Florence if you found it pls can I have it back!) and I picked up the Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in fuchsia flash matte from Sephora as it looked like a similar colour and -yey!- was also matte. 

Well. This is my first Smashbox product and if the other stuff is as amazing as this lippie then I'm a convert! I applied this first thing in the morning for work and it lastest all day. Each time I went to top it up after drinking, eating, talking, it was stil near perfect. For a matte lipstick it was very moisturising, not drying, not prone to settling in the creases or looking bitty. The colour stayed bright and strong and didn't run into fine lines. And the matte is perfect! 

The real test came when I came home from work, had a super quick shower, topped up my eye make up, got changed, brushed my teeth and then went straight out. The lipstick stayed on *near perfect*. Seriously, there's no stopping this stuff! I topped it up but it stayed put throughout a hot shower (obvs didn't wash my face) and a vigorous tooth brushing! Amazing.

I went to an award ceremony and was talking, eating and drinking aaaallll night. And my legendary lipstick didn't budge. I had so many comments on the fab colour and I told everyone it was Smashbox!

Super dooper impressed. Top lipstick in my collection currently- and that's saying something! Will be off to check out the other lipstick colours and the rest of the collection. Nice one Smashbox :-) 

Below are daytime, before going out and at the event pics...

Latest skincare brand crush: Shiseido

I have been using Shiseido's The Skincare instant eye and lip make up remover for a couple of years now ever since I was given a free sample and I was blown away by how it gently, effectively and almost with zero effort removes eye make up and heavy lipstick. 

I've never really thought to try any of the brand's other products until I moved to Dubai and a few of my skincare staples weren't so easily available here. 

So recently I stocked up on the skincare moisture relaxing face mask, the skincare extra gentle cleansing foam, the benefiance wrinkle resist 24 day cream SPF 15 and benefiance wrinkle resist 24 night cream. I like to use skincare products quite a few times before writing a review to see how my skin reacts, so I've been using these for a while now and am suitably impressed (btw I have sensitive to dry skin that is also prone to breakouts, I know confusing right!)...

Moisture relaxing face mask: this is like silk for your face, the texture is divine and it smells delicious. I smother it on and really massage it into my face once a week and then leave for a good 15mins. It sinks in beautifully but doesn't get tight or dry completely like some masks which I love because I'm not a massive fan of 'can't move my face' masks. Avoid the eye area as this did sting slightly when I got close with my over eager application. I then wash off with warm water, although it's still wet enough that you could use a cotton pad / tissue if you wanted. And then TA DAAA! My face immediately feels soft, silky, hydrated and happy. Winner. I just wish it came in a bigger pot.

Benefiance day cream: this is quite a thick, heavy and almost waxy cream but it surprisingly sinks in quickly, with no oily residue or feel. It immediately makes my face feel lovingly moisturised- exactly what you need first thing in the morning! It's a great base for make up and keeps my skin moisturised all day. I like the fact it has an SPF in it and is not chalky in the slightest. Has it reduced my wrinkles? Who knows! But it feels nice :-) Have bought again. 

Benefiance night cream: this is a totally different consistency to the day cream and is more like the silky texture of the mask. I love it, it feels like it's doing good things for my skin overnight and it also smells lovely and quite light- perfect for bedtime (I can't sleep if I can smell anything heavy, which is why me and the body shop's mango body butter didn't quite get in...) Again, is it preventing wrinkles? I couldn't say but it does feel lovely on my skin every night, is a joy to apply and sinks in immediately leaving no residue or sticky after feel. Am now on my third tub. 

Last and, well, maybe least: extra gentle cleansing foam. I'm a devoted dermalogica ultracalming cleanser user and this is the first new cleanser I've tried for a while. I'm undecided. On the one hand I like how it lathers up with a small bit of water and it gives a great consistency to massage the skin. It removes almost all traces of mu and makes my face feel clean but a little tight and I haven't had any breakout just yet... On the other hand, it smells heavy like soap (urgh) and it takes a good amount of water and rubbing to wash off which makes my sensitive skin groan ever so slightly. Will def keep using until the end but not sure I'll purchase again. 

Has anyone tried any other Shiseido products? Noticed sunscreens and make up? Love to hear what you think x

Makeupspiration: Rihanna

Generally I love Rihanna's make up - even the blue lipstick! She always looks flawless, modern and effortless. So when I spotted this pic, I thought she looked incredible and that also this would be a look that I could easily copy: blue and black eyeliner with pink lips. 

I love how the double eyeliner with blue outside and black inside made my eyes really pop... Give it a try! 

Apols for the quick snaps and wet hair- I was running late to meet friends!

Products used: 

Face

Daniel sandler retexturising face primer

Revlon photo ready foundation, 003

Benefit boiing concealer,02

Laura mercier secret concealer (under eye), 2

Mac select sheer pressed powder, nc25

Benefit hoola bronzer

Sleek blush, fenberry  

Mac eye brows, lingering 

Mac fix+

Eyes

Barry m kohl pencil, 6 royal blue

Rimmel soft kohl kajal eyeliner pencil, 061 jet black

Maybelline great lash mascara, blackest black 

Lips 

Barry m lipstick, 62

Plummy lips

I loved the dark plum lips and colourful mohicans at the Fendi aw13 show! 

Unfortunately I can't copy the awesome hair or afford the incredible clothes but I did have a dark lips day :-) 

I like that the plum lips are set against a neutral, bare face with a lick of mascara and defined brows- perfect to offset the gothic look of the lippie. And perfect for work as not too heavy. 

I used my new sephora lipstick in bewitch me and although I loved the colour and blotted and reapplied a few times this lipstick does not last. I ended up wiping it off half way through the day as I can't sit at work and continually reapply, not convenient and not cool! Even if I wasn't doing anything (not talking drinking eating etc) this just seemed to disintegrate at the corners :-( Next time I'll use a lip liner underneath to see if that makes it last longer than a few minutes... 

Anyway plum lips are a big trend for autumn winter, it ties into a 90s grunge reasurgence where a dark lip was a staple. Enjoy experimenting! 

Make up look of the week: lime green eyes

I'm a big fan of lime green eyes, having worn them a few times now this year and in 2012, so I was delighted to see the shade so prominent on the costello tagliapietra ss14 show. 

Admittedly it's a tough colour to crack and if you're not used to wearing bright colours (and your friends, family, colleagues) aren't used to it either then you might get a few strange looks! This juicy, citrus shade certainly packs a punch so isn't for the faint hearted! On this occasion I was wearing a black and grey dress and wanted a shot of colour on my eyes to complement the darker outfit. I also had lime green sunnies and liked the idea of matching :-)

It looks like mac products were used at the Costello show, but I used the lime green shade in my coastal scents palette. My top tip is to ensure you use eyelid primer (my fave is urban decay) to make the colour last and stay bold. There's nothing worse than patchy, creased lime green eyes! 

Pics from the night out... Didn't manage to save the before-going-out pics booo.

 

My new fave product: Bioderma Sensibio H2O

When I arrived in Dubai I brought with me from UK a couple of bottles of my favourite toner by Nivea, a Pure & Natural one that smelled divine. 

Inevitably I ran out and - alas! - it's not stocked here so Bioderma Sensibio H2O entered my life. And I'm sooooo pleased it did! Bioderma is not a brand that I've ever seen stocked in UK but it is all over Dubai. Seriously, stocked everywhere. So I thought I'd give it a try. 

First off, I love the clean packaging and pink lid, secondly I like that it is for sensitive skin and thirdly that it's a toner and also an eye make up remover too.

It is super gentle on the skin, has a light smell and really does the job- taking off the last traces of make up after I've cleansed my face (I normally use a seperate eye make up remover by Shiseido which is pretty heavy duty and amazing in taking off heavy eye make up in one go). Sensibio is refreshing and feels just like water, but better, way better! 

It has cucumber listed in its ingredients which is known for being anti-inflammatory so this is v soothing.  The bottle also says it removes makeup by the 'micro emulsion of impurities' which I think means dissolves make up? Not sure on that one though and a quick google search and I'm none the wiser... 

Anyhow I'm now on my fourth bottle, so it's definitely tried and tested and a winner in my skincare routine :-)

The lowdown- if you have sensitive skin and hate toners that make your skin feel tight, stingy or tingly then give this toner a try! 

Berry brilliant

Am loving red, berry and burgundy lip shades, the perfect colour for 'winter' (even though I live in eternal summer in Dubai!). 

The dolce and gabbana aw13 show had some fabulous classic berry red lips with winged eyeliner and I also love the distressed / blotted / almost wine stained looks, although not sure I'd ever get away with that in real life... Everyone would think I'd half applied my lippie... 

Anyhow, I went for a clean, bare face with a dash of mascara and some berry powder blush and on my lips I used the awesome Rimmel Kate lasting finish lipstick in 107. This stuff is long lasting, matte, lovely smell, great wearable colour and doesn't dry out your lips. Have got a load of shades of the Rimmel Kate lipstick and it never disappoints. 

If you don't usually wear dark lips through the summer then now is the season to give it a try! Top tip: apply then blot, apply again and then blot - will last all day! And doesn't red just make you feel festive too?! Enjoy x

Product review: Avene gentle purifying scrub

I have really sensitive skin that doesn't take we'll to most face scrubs, either going very dry and tight, breaking out or feeling raw so I tend to avoid exfoliating. 

However the other day I had an amazing facial at the cure in media city which involved a scrub. My skin felt amazing afterward so I thought I'd investigate the best for sensitive skins. 

Cue: Avene gentle purifying scrub! I picked this up at boots, it comes in a box  and says it's for sensitive skin. It's a pink gel formula with really gentle small beads that exfoliate. And it actually works- it's so gentle that my skin felt nicely scrubbed, fresh and clean. No tightness, soreness or spots after woooo! 

Am generally really happy with this scrub, it has a nice, light smell and is a lovely pink colour. 

My only gripe is that when I took the bottle out the box at home it looked a third empty! See pic below! Ah well - thankfully a little goes a long way :-) 

I'll definitely buy this again! 

Sephora Binge Ooops!

Popped into Sephora in Marina Mall to have a look for an orange lipstick and came out with three lippies, two lip glosses, a liquid eyeliner and two make up brushes- Ooops!!! 

Here's the lowdown:

Make up forever intense colour lipstick in 40 (Dh105): a bright juicy orange lipstick 

Smashbox be legendary lipstick in fuchsia flash matte (Dh120): a vivid pinky purple, similar to my beloved sleek amped lipstick that I lost earlier in the year but haven't been back to uk yet to replace. Perfectly matte, highly pigmented- will see if it has the same staying power as Amped when I wear it! 

Sephora rouge high coverage lipstick in bewitch me (Dh75): a deep black cherry / purple colour. Will look awesome blotted with tissue and a bit raw around the edges.

Sephora ultra brilliance gloss in totally lucid shiny (Dh53): a clear gloss with a great applicator. A make up bag staple.

Sephora glossy gloss in cocktail on the beach (Dh65): a gloriously glossy orange / red shade. Am not one for gloss but this was quite a good dupe for riri woo lipglass from Mac.

Sephora long lasting Liquid eyeliner in metallic silver (Dh65): a fab thick silver with a precision pointed brush. Perfect to tie in make up with the current shiny metallic fashion trend.

Sephora pro bent liner brush 23 (Dh55): comes with a cute case, lightweight and feels great in the hand. 

Sephora concealer brush 100 (Dh80). Love the bright pink handle. I usually use my finger tip to apply concealer so am interested to use this and see if makes my application any better!  The brush is quite long and goes to quite a thin point at the end, not sure why or if it's just for looks! 

Blue eyes blue eyeshadow? DOOOO IT!

I have blue eyes and I always read how you’re not meant to wear blue eyeshadow if you have blue eyes as it dulls the colour and doesn’t enhance your eyes… what nonsense!   

I love wearing blue eyeshadow! Bright royal blue, navy blue, sky blue, baby blue – all shades on the blue spectrum and I never once think that it dulls my eyes – in fact it makes them pop!  

So I say to all you blue eyed beauties out there who haven’t tried blue eyeshadow – goooo on!!!! Just remember to keep it matte :-)

Royal blue eyeshadow courtesy of the bright blue in Sleek iDivine Ultra Matts v1 730 palette

Sky blue eyeshadow courtesy of Barry M Dazzle Dust, number 93 (available in biggers Boots in Dubai)

Trend to try: the return of grey

Grey seems to be everywhere at the moment: fashion, furnishings and of course, make up!  It’s a really versatile colour on the eyes that can be paired with many different lip shades including pink, red, black cherry but can also be used as the base of an intense smokey eye, with hints of silver and lashings of smudgy black. 

A few of my favourite grey items include: 

Rimmel soft kohl kajal eye pencil, stormy grey.  This is a brilliant pencil eye liner that is easy to apply, lasts all day (and night), is blendable and a lovely alternative to black eye liner.

Sleek Make Up Ultra Mattes v1 730, pale grey shade.  This is a light grey - almost white - that really packs a punch with a bright lip.  My favourite eyeshadow to make a statement without bright colour.

Maybelline eyeshadow mono, silken taupe.  A lovely gentle grey, this is perfect on its own for work, or built up as the base of a smokey eye. It has a gentle shimmer, which is very flattering. 

Mac eyeshadow, Knight Divine.  A darker, moody grey with silver shimmer – great for a dark, intense eye.

So dig out your grey products or splash out on some more as this is a really flattering colour - below is some inspiration :-)