My take on Rita Ora's look

Rita Ora's make up looked stunning at the Grammys recently and I tried to recreate it for a Friday Dubai brunch. I loved how the pinky purple made my blue eyes really pop :-) 

I used the following products:

Face

Daniel Sandler retexturising face primer

Make up forever hd foundation, n145

Revlon photo ready foundation, 003

Benefit boiing concealer, 02

Giorgio Armani maestro eraser dark circle concealer, 3 

Chanel natural finish loose power, 30 natural translucent 

Mac fix+ finishing mist

Benefit hoola bronzer 

Sleek blusher, fenberry

Illamasqua eye brow cake, thunder 

Eyes

Urban decay eyeshadow primer potion

MUA eyeshadow 18 matt (on the lid below the crease)

Coastal scents eyeshadow pinky purple (all over lid and just above crease), lilac (to blend out the edges under the eyebrows), white (inner corners) and black (in the lash line) 

17 blow out mascara, blackest black

Rimmel soft kohl eye liner pencil, 061 jet black 

Lips 

Rimmel Kate lipstick in 101

Blemish busters!

About ten years ago I had quite severe acne and went on a course of medication called minocycline which cleared up my skin. I was then lucky to have clear skin for years until I came to Dubai 14 months ago and my face has been regularly flaring up again. Which massively dents my confidence :-( 

I'm not sure if it's the weather, the water, the air con etc but I have a feeling that it is the continual use of SPF suncreams in this sunny climate. I used to use L'oreal solar expertise for the face and I loved it, but since it was discontinued (why l'oreal why?!) every sun cream I've used since has caused breakouts. 

The latest breakout was the worse so far with ten painful spots on my jawline, cheek, nose and hairline prompting me to ramp up my blemish busting efforts with the below routine for the past ten days. (Apols for the pic below but this is before I started!):

My pharmacist didn't have minocycline but suggested I take doxycycline monohydrate which is an antibiotic daily tablet that works by killing bacteria that contribute to the cause of acne. (Ask your doctor if you think this might help you). 

I changed my skincare routine to include Neutrogena oil free acne wash pink grapefruit facial cleanser. This gel wash smells absolutely divine, foams up and doesn't sting or make my skin feel tight. I have been using this every night and it makes my face feel fresh and clean. 

I also started using La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo corrective and unclogging anti-perfection care before my moisturiser every night. This has a light citrusy smell and a serum like texture. It applies beautifully, doesn't sting or feel greasy. I only apply to areas where I have blemishes and it feels slightly tight as it dries but then feels weightless. 

To remove heavy make up and foundation I used the Clean & Clear exfoliating daily wash (twice in ten days). This is a fine scrub that actually has a great texture that doesn't feel harsh on the skin and removes every last trace of make up. Gently and lightly rub it over the face for about 30seconds and then wash off. 

I also used Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2in1 wash and mask as a face mask twice in ten days just on the area of  spots and not over the entire face. My skin is generally quite sensitive so don't want to upset the balance on the areas which are blemish free! This mask has a clay based formula to draw out impurities and unclog pores. It goes on white, has a light smell and dries so the skin feels tight. Wash off after five minutes. I found it did a great job at drying out spots and didn't bring any new ones to the surface. 

Directly on the spot I also used a remedy that has mixed reviews: toothpaste! I find dabbing a teeny bit of toothpaste on a new spot when it has just appeared and leaving on overnight dries it out and brings down the redness. Have a read here for some good tips: http://m.wikihow.com/Apply-Toothpaste-on-Pimples

And finally I have been drinking an extra litre of water to three litres a day.  Supermodels swear by consuming gallons of water for clear skin and if it works for them.... 

After ten days my spots are not looking so angry and red and have definitely reduced in size. I've not had any new ones appear and these ten are slowly drying out and fading away. Fingers crossed for clear skin again soon! 

*BTW this post includes products that were PR samples

Sephora eyeliners and Giorgio Armani lipstick reviews

Three new products to review: Sephora jumbo liner 12h wear waterproof in 14 violet, Sephora smart liner in 01 black and Giorgio Armani lip maestro in 501. 

First off, this intriguing looking felt liquid eyeliner from Sephora looks like it can answer all your wobbly liner woes with an easy to hold 'pen'.

Well it absolutely does help with grip and precision however the product it applies is watery and takes forever to dry on your eyes. Disappointing! I ended up filling the line in and going over it with the Rimmel glam eyes liquid liner in 001 black glamour just to get a really opaque black line (see look in pics below).

In summary: a great idea for an eyeliner pen but let down by the liquid. 

Next up Sephora's jumbo eyeliner. This is a chubby stick with a fat tip that is quite soft and waxy. It's not for a precise or fine line and is a bit cumbersome trying to get into the inner corners, but it does give a good shot of violet/purple colour. The colour lasted most of the day- but did start wearing off on the inner corners. 

Once again a great looking product in terms of packaging but the actual product itself doesn't live up to claims of 12hour wear and waterproof! Also not sure how it will apply once the 'tip' has worn down a bit. I wouldn't purchase again but will use this one as really like the shade. (Full look pic below).

And finally the Giorgio Armani lip maestro lipstick... I have a rather low opinion of expensive designer lipsticks after getting stung with an awful Dior lipstick and an awful YSL lipstick (both worn twice and then binned) so was dubious about this one. Especially as it looks like a gloss, and I'm not a big wearer of lipgloss!

However the lovely make up artist at the Giorgio Armani counter at Harvey Nichols Mall of Emirates tried this on me and I was sold! It looks like lip gloss with its tube and applicator however it goes on like a velvety lipstick. The matte brick red colour is long lasting, build able, didn't bleed and wears off equally (hurrah). It also feels incredible on the lips- silky and smooth.

Would definitely recommend this and will be checking out what other shades are in the range! 

Charlotte Tilbury for Donna Karan inspired face

So I follow legendary make up artist Charlotte Tilbury on Instagram and was inspired to try and recreate the incredible metallic look she created for the recent Donna Karan autumn/winter 2014. 

Firstly here's some pics... 

And here's my attempt! 

What I used...

Face:

Daniel Sandler retexturising face primer

Giorgio Armani lasting silk uv foundation, 4

Make up for ever hd foundation, n145

Giorgio Armani maestro eraser dark circle concealer, 3

Benefit boiing concealer, 2

Chanel natural finish loose powder, 30 natural translucent 

Mac fix+ finishing mist

Benefit hoola bronzer

Sleek blush, life's a peach 

Mac eyebrow pencil, lingering 

Eyes:

Urban decay eyeshadow primer potion 

Coastal scents 88 prism palette: Mid grey (all over eyelid), dark grey (in sockets and along lash line), mid gold (in centre of eyelid), matte peachy white (to blend out and up to eyebrows) 

Sephora eyeliner, metallic silver (dabbed in inner corners)

Rimmel soft kohl eye liner pencil, jet black 061 (to line lashes and inner water line)

17 blow out mascara, blackest black

Lips:

Carmex lip balm 

New skincare review: Bioderma, Kiehl's, Shiseido, La Roche Posay

Have been using these skincare products for a few weeks and months now so it's time to review!

First up is Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. This clear serum promises to replenish and hydrate skin with moisture overnight and is 99.8% natural, containing squalane, evening primrose oil, omega-6 fatty acids and essential oils including lavender.  It is in a small blue glass jar with a pipette to drop the product into your palms as a little goes a long way! 

This serum smells amazing! It is the perfect soothing lavender smell to breathe in deeply before bed. It smooths onto skin easily and doesn't feel greasy or leave a slimey feel.  My skin feels hydrated and happy in the morning. 

Would I buy this again? Definitely maybe! 

Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturiser is a relatively new product and I have read mixed reviews, some love it and others are totally underwhelmed. I like some other Shiseido skincare so thought I'd give this a go. Firstly it is a much thinner texture than creams that I usually use and it takes a lot if rubbing in. It has a nice smell and a practical pump but I feel like it doesn't moisturise my skin all that well. 

The brand claims that it "intensively corrects the appearance of unevenness such as visible pores, breakouts/blemish marks and skin roughness by building skin’s strength to resist problems. Renews the skin’s surface to reveal an incredibly smooth, uniform texture. The appearance of fine lines caused by dryness is reduced, keeping skin hydrated all day long". Well it certainly doesn't help with my skin texture, pores or tone and doesn't do a great job of hydrating my skin so these are big claims, with little substance! 

Would I buy this again? Nope. For me there are some much better moisturisers out there.

Am a huge fan of Bioderma's Sensibio H2O and have bought it repeatedly for past year but realised I hasn't tried anything else from the brand. I was in need of a facial sun cream (a necessity all year round in Dubai!) and have been on the hunt for a good one for a while so picked up the Bioderma Photoderm Mattifying Sun Fluid 30spf.

Well, I have to say what a disappintment!!!! I've used this stuff four times now to give it a chance and I won't use again. It does everything you don't want a face sun cream to do: it stings around your eyes, it doesn't rub in properly, it leaves a white deathly veil over your skin, it go white and runny when you get in water or sweat a little, it has a not so pleasant smell that won't go away and it seems to make me break out. Just horrid. 

It claims to have an 'invisible texture' - maybe it works well on people with very oily skin... 

Would I buy again? Definitely not! I won't even finish this tube. #bin

My last but not least product is... deep breath... La Roche-Posay Redermic+ intensive daily anti wrinkle firming fill in care.  I noticed a difference the first time I used this stuff- I woke up and my skin felt tighter and plumper and I was super impressed! And having used it quite a few more times I'm still just as impressed. 

This stuff contains vitamin c and hyaluronic acid which is a smoothing ingredient and claims to "consolidate the skin's architecture and fill in wrinkles, even the deepest ones". 

The cream is quite thick, is a light browny colour and has a light scent. The biggest downside to this awesome product is the stupid tube it comes in. The product seems to be highly pressurised and the first time I used it, the product shot out and just wouldn't ease up. I ended up slamming the top back on and screwing down fast to stop the flow but it squished out the sides of the cap! Had so much wasted cream. And the product has now turned a darker shade of brown around the lid and tube. Not pretty. After a few uses the pressure seems to have eased but you just can't control how much of the product comes out. 

Anyway, other than the poor packaging, I really rate this stuff. Would I buy this again? Yes!