New Years Eve Party Looks

New Years eve is just around the corner so why not re visit some of our tutorials to get some inspiration for your party!

What look will you be going for? 

Have a great time whatever you decide.

Models Own ASOS Exclusive

NYE is 4 days away so get those nails manicured and jazz up your mitts with this ASOS exclusive Models Own nail polish.

 Trend based brand Models Own have quite an array of products and cater for all tastes in their nail polish line up.
They have teamed up with ASOS to launch this polish in the colour 'Party Pieces'.
 This is a party in a bottle containing shards of vibrant glitter in blue, pink, gold, green, red and silver all suspended in a clear fluid.

There are multiple ways to wear this colour.
 Layer it up to give an solid block of glitter, wear one coat over a base colour to add a little sparkle or add to the tips of your painted nails to give a frosting of glitter.
Either way this shade will catch the light and sparkle at your New Years eve party.

Make sure you give it plenty of time to dry between coats. Use a base coat to help take this off with ease. Glitter nail polish is notoriously hard to get off!

 Top coat will make sure you're not seeing the New Year in with chipped nails!

Priced at £5.00 exclusively from http://www.asos.com

BM Beauty Mineral Eye Shadow

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BM Beauty is a conscientious brand whose products are free from parabens, synthetic dyes, fragrance and animal products. None of their products are tested on animals.

 More and more people are turning to mineral products and BM Beauty has taken this into consideration and has produced a range of mineral loose eye shadow powders.

They have four collections of 100%mineral eye shadows and here we have sampled 8 of the colours included.

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There is a good selection of colours to choose from.

I think for a strong pay off it's best to layer the product up and use over a base of primer or cream eye shadow.

Being loose these can be a little messy so I would finish your eye make up first and then do your skin second.

Use a flat brush such as a MAC #239 Brush and avoid over blending as you may find the colours blend away to nothing easily.

They are £7.00 each for a 2g pot. You can purchase these from http://www.bmbeauty.com

 

Khroma Beauty by the Kardashians

Want to get that Kimmy K nude lip?.....

Khroma Beauty by The Kardashians

with
Dior

We have already created some looks for Kim Kardashian so why not get inspired from one of our tutorials below.

Aerin for Estee Lauder

Aerin in the center front

 As Estee Lauder’s granddaughter it was inevitable that Aerin Lauder would forge a career in the cosmetic industry.

Aerin began her career in 1992 and has held various roles including Senior Vice President and Creative Director.

 She currently holds the title of style and image director for Estee Lauder and through this has launched her own range within the brand.

 For this festive season Aerin has launched a holiday collection including an eye shadow palette, mini gloss and mini lipsticks.

 We were lucky enough to sample the gloss and lipsticks.

From left to right- Lolabird, Love, Dahlia, Winter rose

All four colours are moisturising with a glossy finish. Each product in the Aerin collection is infused with a floral scent.

You can tell from the packaging this is a Lauder brand although the casing doesn't feel as weighty and as expensive as a typical Estee Lauder product.

The colour pay off is good and although the colours do appear slightly less bold compared to how they look on the actual lipstick they do have a depth and can be layered to create a stronger colour.

The gloss finish means they won't stay on the lips as long as a matte lipstick would but basing the lips with either a primer or lip pencil would help longevity.

The gloss comes in a small square gold plated container and is nude beige in colour.

 There is a very fine fuchsia glitter running through it.

The gloss is very thick and glossy.

There is a mirror in the lid but no brush so apply with fingers or use a separate lip brush.

The lipsticks are £24 each and the gloss is £22

All are available from http://www.esteelauder.co.uk

MeMeMe Dew pots

We like to base our eye shadows with a cream base to help with longevity and the colour payoff.

There are many cream eye shadows available but we particularly love Dew Pots from MeMeMe.

They come in a selection of colours from nude gold frosts through to deep midnight blue.

You can wear them on their own or blend a few together but wear them under a similar colour eye shadow and you will be amazed at the intensity it gives underneath.

The newest Dew Pots that we love at the moment are these six.

Each pot is £7.25 for 3ml and has a slight metallic finish.

The texture is super creamy so only a small amount is needed to buff over the lid.

http://www.mememecosmetics.co.uk/

Illamasqua Black Christmas Gift Box

   In true Illamasqua dark style they have launched their 9-piece Black Christmas limited edition gift box.

In this sleek, slim line black and gold box they have incorporated various key products you can use to create four different looks ranging from a feline flick, smoky eye and a jet black smoky eye with added glitter.

Included in the box is a brochure detailing how to create each look using the provided products.

  Inside is a 1.3g pure pigment in the colour Zeitgeist. This is a loose pigment in black, which in infused with fine glitter in green, pink and silver glitter. A sealing gel is included to help prolong the glitters staying power.

A black powder eye shadow in Obsidian gives a totally opaque black finish.

To finish the eye area is an eyebrow cake in the colour Thunder. This is a chocolate brown soft pressed powder especially for the brow.

 Two types of liner, one in a black kohl pencil, one in a liquid pen style applicator.

The mascara included is a volumising thick bristle brush however if this doesn’t give you enough volume then you can apply the false lashes in number 13.

These lashes are full and dark at the roots and feather outwards to a sharp angle.

Lips are nude with this moisturising pastel pink gloss in Artifice. Super glossy and sheer.

 This giftbox would be perfect for an Illamasqua fan or or someone who loves the sultry dark eye and nude lip look.

This is limited edition so get in quick.

Priced at £96.00 (would be £129.00 individually)

 http://www.illamasqua.com

Tom Ford Jasmine Rouge lip collection

 

This festive season Tom Ford has launched their Jasmine Rouge Collection.

 This collection of four lipsticks are based around the red base tones of Crimson or Cherry and both colour groups have a shade in matte and a shade in a pearlised finish.

Narcotic Rouge (L) Diabolique (R)

In the Matte category we have Narcotic Rouge which is a bright cherry red and Diabolique which is the crimson rich red.

Although they are matte the are silky smooth and creamy and don’t feel dry at all on the lips.

For the Pearlised we have the colour Slander in the cherry tone and the colour Reckless for the Crimson shade.These are the glossy textured lipsticks. They still have the depth of colour that the matte versions have but with reflective particles that make the lips shimmer like rubies!

Slander (L) Reckless (R)

 Lipsticks are £36.00 each and available now.You can purchase in store or online from http://www.harveynichols.com

Stocking Filler Ideas

Struggling with the last minute fillers?...

Chanel Universelle Libre in Reverie (Limited)

If you like to use a powder to matte your skin down but don’t necessarily want a totally matte finish then check out Chanel Natural finish loose powder in Reverie which is limited edition for this Christmas season.
A sheer, fine powder that feels silky on the skin. Has a natural matte texture however the powder is infused with reflective pigments that show on the skin as tiny, fine glitter particles.
The colour of the powder would suit a porcelain or fair skin tone. If you want to use it just as a highlighter it may be suitable for a medium skin tone.Any darker skin tones it will start to look ashy and pale.
 The glitter is a combination of gold and silver but as it is so fine it shows up so beautifully soft.
Gives the skin a natural sparkle without looking too much for daytime. Doesn’t cake and keeps the skin matte and foundation set all day. Great staying power.
Use all over the face sparingly to avoid glitter overload or build up a little more on the higher parts of the face and décolletage for a more intense sparkle.
A massive shaker style pot of this powder will last you ages.
Priced at £34.00 http://www.chanel.com

Hourglass Illume

 Hourglass illume in Bronze light is a duo compact containing a creme to powder bronzer and cream highlighter.
The creme bronzer has a warm golden tone. Colour pay off is strong so you won't need too much. Start with a light application and build up.
Can be used to give warmth and colour to skin or can be used to gently contour features.
 The highlighter is a soft gold that highlights with a radiant glow rather than a glitter finish.
 Use this on the high points of your face to bring out the bone structure.
 Packaged in a 360°swivel mirrored compact. The mirror also conveniently rotates around.
Product feels velvety and is absorbed into the skin with no greasy residue.
 Contains no oil, wax, sufates and is paraben and fragrance free.
Moisturising enough to use on a dry skin and the oil free properties make it a perfect choice for an oily or combination skin.

This compact is £40.00 and available from http://www.liberty.co.uk/ or http://www.hourglasscosmetics.com/

Kevyn Aucoin Skin Tinted Balm

Space NK have exclusively launched The Sensual Tinted Balm from Kevyn Aucoin.

Available in four shades this moisturising balm provides a sheer, velvet textured tint to the ski

It has lots of skin benefiting ingredients such as Botanical Rice, which soothes and calms an irritated skin and preserve skin cells.

 Japanese Bloodgrass maintains skin moisture and skin is protected with the added SPF 20.

We really like the packaging of this product. The hard back and squidgy cushioned front is aesthetically very appealing! 

  The squeezable plastic front makes it easy to get the product out and you can actually see when the product will run out.

Lightest colour SB01

The oil free formula makes it great for all skin types however I think that due to the moisturising benefits and that it feels slightly more tackier on the skin it will sit nicer on a dryer skin type.

Priced at £36.00 and available at space NK stores nationwide, online at spacenk.co.uk  and via mail order on 020 8740 2085

Nothing Sparkles like Swarovski

Crystal eyes
with stargazer, M.A.C, Swarovski

Front Cover Sparkler-Glitter Eyes and Nails

Another fabulous gift set from Front cover cosmetics is their sparkler set.

This combines products that can be used on both the nails and eyes for a matching glittery look.

 For the nails three different nail polishes in a black shot with a forest green tint, magenta and a bronze.

  Three glitter pots are included and each one can be used on both nails and eyes.

 

  A fine glitter in gold and in black and also gold glitter dots.

 After applying the second coat of polish nails can be dipped into your choice of glitter.

Dip in just the tips or coat all over for a full on glitter nail.

 The glitter dots can be picked out with tweezers and laid onto the nail bed.

 For the eyes apply the glitter sealing gel to the dry eyelid. You can then use the added sponge applicator to press the glitter or dots to the eyes.

 

The sealing gel  holds the glitter firmly and feels comfortable on the eye.

 The gel does have a slight blue glitter running through it which, although looks pretty I personally think it would be better if the gel was clear as the blue is a little contrasting with the gold or black glitter.

 You can of course build up more glitter so that the gel is totally concealed.

 Very easy to use but do it over a piece of paper so you can catch and reuse any glitter drop down.

 Priced at £16.00 and available from

Front Cover cosmetics Dark Arts Nail Art

When this box set of Nail art arrived we were so exciting to try it out.

 If you enjoy doing nails then finding this set under your Christmas tree will be a dream come true.

 Packaged in a hardback book style the set has instructions printed inside on how to achieve a look with each piece of equipment.

 The instructions are clear and include picture diagrams if you need some inspiration.

The kit includes three styles of gems and a holographic glitter.

 Four colours in black, gold, saffron orange and deep red.

Three styles of nail stickers including a lace and polka dot print, laser cut leather and silver print and an Aztec design.

  All of the utensils you need are included also. Nail file, scissors, tweezers, orange stick, nail art brush, glue and dotting sticks.

This kit would appeal to all ages and to all levels of nail art ability.

I was totally absorbed into creating different looks for my nails and had so much fun creating the various trends.

 Super easy to use however I would advise to get all of the pieces you need to use out of the box before starting. It’s tricky to get products out once you have started paining your nails. I was just so excited to get started I didn’t get all the bits out first!!

This kit is priced at an amazing £25.00 and is available from

http://www.frontcovercosmetics.com 

Australian Bodycare Skin Wash

I spent some time travelling around Australia and have a great memory of lying in a Lake called Brown Lake on Stradbroke Island.
 The water in the lake was stained rich brown due to the amount of tannin from the surrounding Tea trees.
The subtle scent in the water of the fresh Tea tree was amazing and my skin felt clean and soothed.
Because of this first hand experience I was keen to try the Australian Body care range.

The range of products available from this brand are vast and include everything form wet wipes, cleansers, moisturisers and more.

Tea Tree is one of nature's miracle workers and can help skin that suffers from breakouts or that is infected.
 It can also help reduce cold sores, help with foot odour, nasal congestion and soothe burns or stings.

I have been using the skin wash, which is a 250ml pump action bottle.
The gel lathers up and after massaging in I rinse it off.
Skin feels tingly fresh and clean. My face or body doesn't feel dry at all after washing.
This is suitable for all skin types but is amazing on an oily or acne prone skin as it cleans away spot causing bacteria and helps restore the natural PH balance in the skin. This would also be nice for men to use after shaving to soothe razor burn.
Also, gentle enough to use when shampooing pets!

The skin wash is £12.24. to view stockists check out  https://www.australianbodycare.com/store-locator/
You can also purchase the collection from
http://www.australian-bodycare.co.uk/

Dior Cherie Bow Spring collection

Spring is my favourite time of the year. The glitz and sparkle of Christmas is washed away and clean crisp fresh palettes are back.

 Dior never fails to deliver awesome palettes to get you through the season.

For Spring 2013 Cherie bow is the collection.

 A feminine, pinkie soft blend of colours embossed with a hound’s-tooth print on the shadows.

The Cherie Bow Palette

 

The signature piece from this collection is The Palette Cherie Bow. This cute purse style packaging encases 3 eye shadows (seen above) a black creamy eye liner and a sheer gloss.

 An eye shadow sponge applicator with angled liner brush at opposite end and a gloss brush are also included.

The lightest of the shadows gives a gloss like sheen to the skin but in a powder form. The Middle colour is a pearl shot with a baby pink and the third colour is a candy pink shot through with silver.

The black liner is soft and creamy and glides on easily.

The gloss is a soft coral pink that is almost transparent.

This palette is £59.00

If this palette is not to your taste then in true Dior style they have released their 5 Couleurs smoky palette.

In similar pink tones this palette also has a smoky grey shadow to take this pretty daytime selection into a an evening look.

 

 The palette featured above is called Rose Charmeuse but there is also another palette in Rose Balleriene.

Both palettes are £41.00

If you prefer a quick eye look with minimal product the Twin-Set eye shadow pen will work for you.

Grey Sigh Twin-Set pen

One end is a creamy pencil style shadow and the other end is a sponge, which dispenses a shiny powder in a similar colour.

Each end can be used individually however if you use them together you will get a bold shadow with a metallic like shine. Layering also helps to pro long the wear.

These come in four colours and are £24.50

The skin is not forgotten in this collection.

Keep the skin radiant and nude with Diorskin Nude BB cream.

Giving a radiant, hydrated glow to the skin this cream gives a sheer coverage whilst protecting with SPF 10.

 Available in light, fair and medium priced at £30.00

For the cheeks is a duo blush embossed with the hounsds-tooth print.

One side a rosy matte peach and the other side a more coral blush with a gold glitter.

Layer one on top of the other for a radiant peach cheek.

Tender coral

Also in the collection is a more pinky blush called Pink Happiness.
Both blushers are £29.50 each.

This collection is available from Selfridges 4th January and nationwide from 18th January.

For more info go to

 http://www.dior.com

Minvita Baobab Body oil

If your skin is suffering in the cold weather or if you suffer from various skin disorders including dry skin, stretch marks and scaring then you may want to take a look at Baobab body oil.
This oil is made purely from the seeds of the Baobab tree (upside down tree), which grows on the African Savannahs.

The oil is high in vitamin A, D, E and F and can even help to reduce bruising. Vitamins B1 AND B2 help to nourish skin and help maintain elasticity in an aging skin.
Being totally natural there is no fragrance only the scent of the seeds.



The oil is contained in a 100ml, glass pump action bottle.
 It is absorbed easily with no greasy residue.
Skin is left with a soft moisturised glow.

Great for all skin types but amazing on a dry, dehydrated skin.
Quite pricey at £35.00 but for someone who is desperate to correct a severely dry skin then well worth the pennies.
You can view more of Minvita's products on http://www.minvita.co.uk

All I want for Christmas...